NEW DELHI: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sought to set aside the death sentence handed to her by the International Crimes Tribunal and termed the verdict “legally void” and inconsistent with international legal standards, it has been learnt.
The letter dated March 30, sent through her London-based solicitors Kingsley Napley, urges Bangladeshi authorities to immediately set aside the sentence and halt any steps toward its execution.
Hasina, who has been living in self-exile since August 2024 following widespread student-led protests that led to her government’s fall, has also called for any further proceedings to strictly adhere to internationally accepted norms of fair trial and due process.
Her letter comes soon after a new government took office in Dhaka under Tarique Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. It also coincides with indications that several leaders of Hasina’s Awami League, currently in exile across India and Europe, are considering returning to Bangladesh.
The tribunal had, on November 17 last year, sentenced Hasina to death after convicting her of crimes against humanity linked to the 2024 crackdown on protests. It also imposed an additional sentence of imprisonment until death, citing her alleged role in enabling and failing to prevent violence against civilians by law enforcement agencies and party cadres.
The demands of the former Prime Minister include that verdict be declared null and void and that any attempt to carry out the death penalty be stopped, future proceedings must ensure full transparency, proper and timely notice in listing out the charges the right to legal representation of her choice before an “independent” tribunal.
It is learnt that her lawyers questioned the tribunal’s jurisdiction, arguing that it was originally established to address crimes related to the 1971 liberation war, not contemporary political events. The letter calls on authorities to ensure compliance with international human rights obligations and to guarantee the safety of those associated with her party.