A court in Dhaka has sentenced former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity.
The trial was held in her absence.
According to a news report by The Guardian, she was charged with crimes against humanity for failing to prevent mass killings during student-led anti-government protests last year.
Hasina has previously denied the charges and claimed the tribunal was “politically motivated.”
Hasina was sentenced by the tribunal after a months-long trial, despite having fled to India since August last year.
Hasina, who lives in exile, is currently protected by neighboring India, which has ignored Bangladesh’s request to hand her over to face trial.
Relatives of protesters killed in the protests sobbed in court as the judge sentenced Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, who was also charged in the trial, to death.
The United Nations (UN) reported that about 1,400 individuals were killed between July and August 2024 as the Hasina-led government sought to maintain its grip on power.
