Violence Erupts in Dhaka After Sheikh Hasina’s Death Sentence; Yunus Government Steps Up Action — What Is the Situation Now?
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death, triggering widespread violence across the capital, Dhaka. In response, the Yunus-led interim government has launched rapid action measures and tightened security in multiple parts of the country.
According to reports, the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh (ICT-BD) handed down the death penalty to Hasina for her alleged actions during last year’s anti-government protests. The tribunal also sentenced former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death after finding him guilty of several crimes against humanity.
The special tribunal announced on Monday that the 78-year-old Awami League leader was convicted in absentia for being the “mastermind and chief architect” of the violent suppression of protests in July last year, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of demonstrators.
Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh on 5 August last year, during the peak of mass protests against her government, and has since been staying in India. The court had previously declared her a fugitive.
Reacting to the verdict, Hasina stated that the judgment was delivered by an unauthorized tribunal, established and run by an unelected government that, according to her, has no democratic legitimacy.