Bangladesh's former prime minister sentenced to death for crackdown on students

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Hasina Wajid was sentenced to death on Monday for ordering the violent suppression of the July-August 2024 student uprising. The verdict was handed down by a Dhaka tribunal in her absence as she fled to India after her ouster last year.

Prosecutors have specified that as many as 1 400 people died and thousands were injured as a result of her decision to use lethal force, according to the UN, making it the worst violence in the country since 1971.

In addition, Wajid was given a life sentence for crimes against humanity. Her lawyer called for her acquittal and described the sentence as unjustified. The 77-year-old former prime minister had previously questioned the legitimacy of the trial, calling it politically motivated and orchestrated by her opponents.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers before a proper tribunal where the evidence can be fairly weighed and verified," she noted.

Meanwhile, her party, the Awami League, has been excluded from February's parliamentary elections.

(reuters, max)