The chief prosecutor of Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Thursday sought the death penalty for deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, accusing her of being the “mastermind and principal architect” behind the deadly crackdown on last year’s anti-government protests.
Hasina, 78, was ousted in August 2024 following a massive student-led uprising that swept across Bangladesh.
According to a UN human rights report, as many as 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15 last year when security forces allegedly opened fire on demonstrators protesting against her government.
Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam, in his submission before the tribunal, claimed that Hasina bore direct responsibility for ordering the violence.
“Sheikh Hasina is the mastermind of all the crimes. She is an unrepentant, heartless criminal who deserves the maximum punishment. No mercy should be shown to her,” he was quoted as saying by the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).
“For the murder of 1,400 people, she ought to have been hanged 1,400 times. But since that is not possible, it is appropriate to impose the death penalty so that no leader in future dares to kill their own citizens,” he added.
The prosecution also sought capital punishment for former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, describing him as one of the “Gang of Four” who directed the crackdown.
The tribunal was urged to deny leniency for Kamal and to provide compensation to victims’ families from the assets of those found guilty.
Tajul informed the court that Hasina and Kamal were absconding, citing intelligence reports that both were currently in India.
The ICT had earlier framed five charges of crimes against humanity and mass killings against Hasina, Kamal, and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, based on an investigation completed in May.
Al-Mamun has already pleaded guilty and turned approver, according to the prosecution.
Hasina fled Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, amid escalating unrest and has since been living in India.
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The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has formally requested her extradition, but New Delhi has yet to respond.
The ICT, originally set up to try collaborators from the 1971 Liberation War, was recently amended by the Yunus administration to prosecute leaders of the previous regime.
Many senior Awami League figures, including former ministers and officials, are now either jailed or in hiding.
Hasina’s supporters have dismissed the charges as politically motivated, calling the proceedings part of a broader campaign to dismantle the Awami League and silence dissent.
