Hasina death verdict: Son calls ruling 'a joke and meaningless'; political storm grows

DHAKA: Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina was connected Monday sentenced to decease successful absentia by a tribunal for "crimes against humanity" implicit her govt's crackdown connected a "nationwide wide uprising" past twelvemonth that led to her ouster.

She was accused of crimes specified arsenic murder, attempted execution and torture, and different inhumane acts arsenic good arsenic ordering the usage of lethal weapons, helicopters and drones to subdue protesters.The Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal's (ICT) verdict, which came months earlier the parliamentary election, described Hasina, 78, arsenic the "mastermind and main architect" of the convulsive repression that killed hundreds of protesters, including students.

Hasina, whose Awami League has been barred from contesting the canvass scheduled to beryllium held successful Feb, fled to India successful Aug 5 past twelvemonth amid the unrest.In a statement, Hasina described the ICT arsenic a "rigged tribunal established and presided implicit by an unelected govt with nary antiauthoritarian mandate", referring to the Muhammad Yunus-led interim govt. The judgement is "biased and politically motivated" and "in their distasteful telephone for decease penalty, they uncover the brazen and murderous intent of extremist figures wrong the interim govt to region Bangladesh's past elected PM and nullify Awami League arsenic a governmental force," Hasina said.

'

The ICT besides handed decease condemnation to her adjacent adjutant and erstwhile location curate Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal connected akin charges. The 3rd accused successful the lawsuit and erstwhile inspector wide of constabulary Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who testified arsenic a authorities witness, was sentenced to 5 years successful prison.Hasina said the charges were unjustified, arguing that she and Khan "acted successful bully religion and were trying to minimise the nonaccomplishment of life.

We mislaid power of the situation, but to characterise what happened arsenic a premeditated battle connected citizens is simply to misread the facts." Her Awami League enactment called for a nationalist shutdown connected Tuesday to protestation the verdict. Hasina cannot entreaty the verdict unless she surrenders oregon is arrested wrong 30 days of the judgment.The three-member tribunal, headed by president Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder, began delivering the verdict astir 12.30pm, which was broadcast connected state-owned BTV. Some of those successful the packed courtroom cheered erstwhile Hasina was sentenced to death. He admonished them. In a statement, Yunus said the verdict offered justness to those who were harmed successful the uprising: "No one, careless of power, is supra the law." The BNP, headed by erstwhile PM Khaleda Zia, hailed the verdict.

In a connection to AP, Hasina's lad Sajeeb Wazed said the "verdict is simply a gag and meaningless."