DHAKA, Bangladesh (December 4, 2023) – Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and British Member of Parliament Tulip Siddiq were sentenced to deathโ Mondayโ in connection with a crackdown on student protests that ended Hasina’s 15-year rule last year.The verdict comes as Bangladesh prepares for parliamentary elections in February, currently overseen by an interim government lead by Nobel Peace prize laureate Muhammad Yunus.
The convictions stem from allegations of crimes against humanity related to the government’s response to the mass uprising.Hasina, who has livedโข in exile in India asโค being ousted, and Siddiq, who resides outsideโข the country, were tried in absentia after choosing not to appoint defenceโข lawyers. A separate court previously sentenced Hasina to 21 years in jail on November 27 โคin three relatedโ cases involving a township project; her son and daughter received five-year sentences in that instance.โ
The cases center around the โviolent suppression of student-led โขdemonstrations that challenged Hasina’s government.โข Rehana, another individual involved in the case, is also currentlyโ abroad, as are Siddiq’s two siblings, all facing charges linked to the 2022 uprising. The interim government, under Yunus, has announced the โupcoming February elections, marking a pivotal moment for Bangladesh’s political future following the tumultuous events of the past year.