Accused of Causing Up to 1,400 Deaths, According to UN Estimates
Currently in Exile in India... Extradition Pressure Expected
Sheikh Hasina, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, who ordered a violent crackdown on anti-government protests by university students last year, has been sentenced to death in a trial held in her home country.
According to major foreign media outlets such as AFP on the 17th (local time), a court in Dhaka, Bangladesh, sentenced former Prime Minister Hasina to death in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity.
Last July, former Prime Minister Hasina ordered the use of force to suppress student protests opposing the allocation of public sector jobs to descendants of independence fighters. According to United Nations estimates, this crackdown resulted in the deaths of up to 1,400 people.
Despite the violent suppression, the protests did not stop, and in August last year, she stepped down as Prime Minister and fled to India. Bangladeshi prosecutors indicted Hasina on five counts of crimes against humanity, including failure to prevent and encouraging mass murder, and sought the death penalty.
Hasina has denied all charges and continues to reside in India. With this verdict, the Bangladeshi interim government is now able to pressure India to extradite her. India and Bangladesh have an extradition treaty in place. However, although the Bangladeshi interim government officially requested Hasina's extradition last year, India did not respond.
Meanwhile, ahead of the verdict, Hasina's supporters protested, resulting in Molotov cocktails being thrown at government, political, and religious facilities throughout Dhaka on the 10th, and three buses were set on fire.
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