FernFlicker
Well-known member
Bangladesh's prosecutors have asked for the death penalty for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is facing charges of crimes against humanity over the deadly crackdown on student-led protests that ousted her from power last year.
In a move that has sent shockwaves through the country, chief prosecutor Tajul Islam demanded that the court hand down 1,400 death sentences to Hasina, citing a leaked audio clip in which she ordered security forces to "use lethal weapons" against protesters. According to Islam, this was not humanly possible, and he called for at least one death sentence.
The protests, sparked by concerns over civil service job quotas for relatives of those who fought in Bangladesh's 1971 war, turned into a mass movement to overthrow Hasina. The violence left up to 1,400 people dead, making it the worst unrest Bangladesh had seen since its war of independence.
Sheikh Hasina has denied all charges against her and fled to India after the protests broke out. She is currently on trial alongside her ex-interior minister, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.
Prosecutors have also sought the death penalty for Kamal, while Chowdhury pleaded guilty in July but remains without a sentence.
Bangladesh is due to hold its next elections in February, with Hasina's rival party BNP seen as frontrunner. However, her party Awami League has been banned from all activities, including participating in elections.
This latest development raises questions about the government's intentions and whether it seeks to prevent Hasina from ever returning to power.
In a move that has sent shockwaves through the country, chief prosecutor Tajul Islam demanded that the court hand down 1,400 death sentences to Hasina, citing a leaked audio clip in which she ordered security forces to "use lethal weapons" against protesters. According to Islam, this was not humanly possible, and he called for at least one death sentence.
The protests, sparked by concerns over civil service job quotas for relatives of those who fought in Bangladesh's 1971 war, turned into a mass movement to overthrow Hasina. The violence left up to 1,400 people dead, making it the worst unrest Bangladesh had seen since its war of independence.
Sheikh Hasina has denied all charges against her and fled to India after the protests broke out. She is currently on trial alongside her ex-interior minister, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.
Prosecutors have also sought the death penalty for Kamal, while Chowdhury pleaded guilty in July but remains without a sentence.
Bangladesh is due to hold its next elections in February, with Hasina's rival party BNP seen as frontrunner. However, her party Awami League has been banned from all activities, including participating in elections.
This latest development raises questions about the government's intentions and whether it seeks to prevent Hasina from ever returning to power.
death penalty for Sheikh Hasina? like what happened with her after the protests? was she just sitting at home waiting for this kinda thing to happen? 1,400 deaths is crazy and i feel bad for the families of those people 
but if its proven that hasina ordered people to die then shes gotta pay. but on the other hand, isnt this a political move by the gov? are they just trying to scare ppl off voting for awami league in Feb? 
what about asaduzzaman khan kamal tho? why death penalty for him too? didnt he do anything wrong? 
Bangladesh is literally at a crossroads right now - will they go for stability and democracy or will they try to silence their leaders with brute force? 
it's anyone's guess what will happen next, but one thing's for sure: this situation needs to be handled with extreme caution... 
. It feels like they're trying to send a message to anyone who dares to challenge their authority.
This is just as Bangladesh is gearing up for its next elections, with Hasina's party banned from participating. It feels like they're trying to make an example out of her and prevent her from returning to power... which raises all sorts of questions about the government's intentions 
.
she was always gonna get a slam dunk sentence lol guess that leaked audio clip was super damning... or maybe they just wanted an excuse to keep her out of politics forever? idk, i thought the whole "crimes against humanity" thing was just a fancy way of saying "we're trying to cover our tracks"... either way, this is gonna be super messy 
according to news outlet BBC there are over 50,000 people in Bangladesh's prisons, but only 10% of them are on death row 
chart time: 
1,400 deaths during protests = 2.5% of total population = pretty significant huh? 
. The 1971 war is still so recent and it's sad to see how far Bangladesh has come and yet here we are.
. Death penalty for Sheikh Hasina is like, super harsh. I get that she ordered security forces to use lethal weapons against protesters, but isn't that a pretty extreme measure? 
. I just hope the court sees reason and doesn't railroad Hasina into a guilty verdict #JusticeMatters
- Bangladesh is like that tree, right? And then there are these roots 
- they're like the old issues with civil service job quotas and all that jazz... anyway... 
pouring into the roots of that tree. It's like the student-led protests 
! They're trying to bring some change, but the government is trying to hold them back.
- they represent the trials and tribulations of Sheikh Hasina 
. Prosecutors want her head on a platter 
, but she's denying all charges and fleeing to India 
!
.
Like, didn't Bangladesh learn anything from its own history? The 1971 war was devastating enough, and now it seems like they're heading towards more bloodshed. 
. I just hope that justice gets served fairly and not for personal gain. Fingers crossed for a peaceful resolution 