Sheikh Hasina Faces Death Penalty : The Telegraph

Bangladesh’s ousted prime minister could face the death penalty over her alleged role in a crackdown that left about 1,400 people dead.

Sheikh Hasina, the 78-year-old aunt of the Labour MP Tulip Siddiq, is on trial before the South Asian country’s international crimes tribunal on charges of crimes against humanity.

Prosecutors have demanded that she be put to death if found guilty of ordering state forces to “use lethal weapons” against protesters.

Ms Hasina also allegedly ordered the incineration of bodies and denial of medical treatment during the crackdown, which led to mass killings and violence against women and children. She has denied all charges.

The UN human rights office estimates that up to 1,400 people were killed in Ms Hasina’s attempts to crush the uprising, which ended her 15-year rule.

The unrest, which started in July last year, began as a protest against civil service job quotas for relatives of veterans from the 1971 war of independence. It soon escalated into a nationwide movement demanding her resignation.

On Aug 5, Ms Hasina fled by helicopter before protesters stormed her residence in Dhaka.

On the same day, security forces killed at least 52 people in a busy Dhaka neighbourhood – one of the bloodiest incidents in Bangladesh’s history.

Her premiership was marked by widespread accusations of election-rigging to maintain her hold on power and human rights violations such as extrajudicial killing, extensive arbitrary arrest, torture and enforced disappearance, including of children.

Maynul Karim, a prosecutor, said his team had gathered phone records, audio and video clips, and witness testimonies linking Ms Hasina directly to the atrocities.

“We can prove beyond any doubt that she deserves the death penalty,” he said. “On the basis of command responsibility, the killings were executed under her direct order.”

The court has issued arrest warrants for Ms Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan, the former interior minister, who are both believed to be in India.

Chowdhury Abdullah al-Mamun, the former police chief, has been arrested and pleaded guilty in July, but has not been given a sentence.

He said in his confession that Ms Hasina ordered the extermination of protesters using helicopters, drones and lethal weapons, which he carried out by commanding security forces, according to Mr Karim.

“We are optimistic that we can convince the court that she be put on death row,” Mr Karim added.

Tajul Islam, the chief prosecutor, said Ms Hasina deserved 1,400 death sentences. He told the court: “Since that is not humanly possible, we demand at least one.

“Her goal was to cling to power permanently, for herself and her family. She has turned into a hardened criminal and shows no remorse for the brutality she has committed.”

On Sunday, Ms Hasina’s defence will start their argument, and are likely to conclude it next week. A final judgment is expected by mid-November.

Ms Hasina also faces having her properties confiscated and auctioned off under the charges, with proceeds distributed to victims of last year’s uprising. Her state-appointed lawyer argues that the police were forced to open fire in response to violent actions from the protesters.

She has already been sentenced to six months in prison for contempt of court, and also faces corruption charges.

Ms Siddiq is separately being tried in absentia in Bangladesh having been accused of influencing her aunt to secure plots of land for her family. The MP has denied all charges.

Bangladesh is due to hold its next elections in February which will see Hasina’s rival party BNP as frontrunner.

Her Awami League party has been banned from all activities, including participating in elections.