A 453-page judgment, read aloud for more than an hour, was issued on Monday by Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), sentencing former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death over alleged crimes against humanity.
The lengthy ruling concluded a months-long trial that found her guilty on three charges, including directing a violent crackdown on a student-led movement last year that brought down her Awami League government.
The tribunal - led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder - also delivered its ruling against two of Hasina's close associates, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun. According to the court, all three worked together to carry out atrocities aimed at killing protesters across the country.
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Hasina and Kamal were declared fugitives and tried in absentia, while Mamun initially faced trial in person before turning approver.
Bangladesh Television (BTV) broadcast the verdict live from the ICT courtroom, where Tribunal-1 read out the findings. The formal charge sheet ran to 8,747 pages, containing references, seized evidence, and an extensive list of victims, according to Bangladesh daily Dhaka Tribune.
Live visuals from the courtroom showed people cheering and applauding as the death sentence was pronounced against Hasina.
Ahead of the ruling, Sajeeb Wazed, son of Sheikh Hasina, had said that the outcome was predetermined. "They're televising it. They're going to convict her, and they'll probably sentence her to death," he told Reuters.
He further addressed concerns over his mother's safety by emphasising the international protection she was receiving, noting, "My mother is safe in India. India is giving her full security."
(With inputs from agencies)
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