Death Penalty
Furious Taslima Nasreen slams Bangladesh: 'Sheikh Hasina gets death penalty — but why not Yunus?'
Dhaka/IBNS: Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen has slammed the judgement passed by International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh ordering death penalty for ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in connection with the violence during a crackdown on students' movement last year, media reports said.
Taslima has raised questions on why adviser to the current Bangladeshi interim government, Muhammad Yunus, is spared for the similar kind of actions.
In an X post soon after the judgement, the writer said, "The actions for which Hasina has been declared unjust by Yunus and his jihadi forces — when Yunus and those same jihadi forces commit the very same actions, they declare them to be just.
"When someone commits acts of sabotage and the current government orders them to be shot, the government does not call itself a criminal. So why is Hasina being considered a criminal for giving the order last July to shoot those who committed acts of sabotage?"
"Why will the terrorists who committed sabotage in July — who set fire to the metro, killed people with snipers, slaughtered police officers — not be brought to justice? When will the farce in the name of justice end in Bangladesh?"
The court found the 78-year-old leader, who fled to India amid severe protests against her regime on August 5, 2024, guilty on three counts.
The verdict was pronounced after a month-long trial.
The International Crimes Tribunal found Hasina guilty in the case linked to alleged crimes against humanity committed during the July-August 2024 uprising.
Former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also awarded the death penalty, while former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who became a state witness, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment in the case, reported The Daily Star.
The court even directed the confiscation of Hasina and Kamal's properties in favour of the state.
The three-member International Crimes Tribunal was headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder.
According to local media reports, Kamal is currently a 'fugitive'. Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun is currently in custody and has even pleaded guilty.
Since escaping to India amid severe protests, Hasina has been staying in the neighbouring nation.
Speaking to NDTV, Hasina, one of Bangladesh’s longest-serving leaders, said, “The events of last summer were a tragic subversion of democracy. What began as legitimate student protests was exploited by anti-democratic forces who conspired to remove the elected government through violence and intimidation, leading to chaos and needless loss of life.”
Reflecting on the July–August 2024 Uprising, Hasina added, “It quickly became clear that the security situation had deteriorated so drastically that my only option was to leave Dhaka to ensure the safety of my family and to prevent further escalation of violence.”
Security across Bangladesh has been heightened across the country ahead of the pronouncement of the verdict.
Since Hasina's exit, there have been hundreds of attacks including vandalism and arson on Hindu homes and properties across many districts.
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