Nigeria TV Info — Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty for Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina Over Crackdown on 2024 Protests

Dhaka, Bangladesh — Prosecutors in Bangladesh have demanded the death penalty for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, accusing her of committing crimes against humanity during a brutal crackdown on student-led protests that toppled her government last year.

Hasina, who ruled the South Asian nation for 15 years before being ousted in August 2024, stands accused of ordering security forces to use lethal force against demonstrators. Prosecutors cited a leaked audio recording in which Hasina allegedly instructed commanders to “use lethal weapons” to suppress the uprising — a claim she has vehemently denied.

Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam told a Dhaka court on Thursday that Hasina’s actions resulted in the deaths of more than 1,400 people during the unrest. “She deserves 1,400 death sentences — one for each victim — but since that is not humanly possible, we demand at least one,” Islam said.

He further accused Hasina of seeking to entrench her family’s political dynasty, describing her as “a hardened criminal with no remorse for the brutality she has committed.”

The mass protests began in July 2024, initially sparked by widespread anger over a controversial civil service quota system that favored descendants of veterans from the country’s 1971 independence war. The demonstrations rapidly expanded into a full-scale anti-government movement demanding Hasina’s resignation.

Over the following weeks, clashes between security forces and protesters left more than 1,400 dead, marking the country’s deadliest unrest since independence.

One of the most violent incidents occurred on August 5, 2024, when Hasina fled her Dhaka residence by helicopter as protesters stormed the compound. Police reportedly opened fire on demonstrators in a nearby neighborhood, killing at least 52 people in a single day.

Hasina’s legal team has dismissed the charges as politically motivated, claiming the case is an attempt by her rivals to erase her political legacy. The former premier, now in custody, has maintained her innocence and insists she acted to preserve national stability during a period of unprecedented chaos.

The court is expected to continue hearing testimonies over the coming weeks as Bangladesh grapples with the political fallout of one of its darkest chapters.

— Nigeria TV Info