Bangladesh says Sheikh Hasina must face death sentence on return

New Delhi: A request to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi for travel and identity documents for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to return home from a self-imposed exile since August 2024 has reportedly invited severe reactions in Dhaka, where her safety and that of her colleagues appear to be under question.

A day after the application, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Chief Prosecutor Md Shahriar Alam has said that there is no alternative to executing the death sentence if Sheikh Hasina returns home, reported Dhaka’s Bengali newspaper ‘Prothom Alo’ on Tuesday.  The same day (Tuesday), Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman told the Parliament that 1,883 cases have been filed across Bangladesh since the July 2024 protests, of which 805 are murder cases, according to a report by ‘The Daily Star’.

It said that the minister added that 79 cases had so far been filed or registered with the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) against “those accused of attacking participants” in the July 2024 student movement, the report said.

Of these, eight cases have been finally disposed of through full verdicts, with 73 defendants sentenced, it said further, adding that among these, 24, including Hasina, have been sentenced to death, while 49 others have received various prison terms, including life imprisonment.

The ICT is a court established in Bangladesh to prosecute serious crimes including genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. In recent years, the tribunal has gained renewed prominence through proceedings against Sheikh Hasina and several former officials over allegations linked to the 2024 crackdown on anti-government protests.

The tribunal's actions have become a central element in Bangladesh's political transition and have attracted close international attention because of their implications for justice, accountability, and democratic stability. (IANS)