Shashi Tharoor strongly reacts to the death sentence given to former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, calling the verdict “deeply dismaying” and “very troubling.” He raises concerns over the fairness of a trial conducted in absentia.
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NEW DELHI: A special tribunal sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death in absentia, prompting strong reactions both within Bangladesh and abroad. Among the prominent voices expressing concern was Indian Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who described the judgment as a “very troubling development.”
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Tharoor emphasized his longstanding opposition to capital punishment:
“I don’t believe in the death penalty, whether at home or anywhere else,”
he said, calling the verdict “dismaying.”
He also questioned the fairness of conducting a trial without the accused being present:
“When someone has no opportunity to defend themselves or respond to the allegations, and a death sentence is handed down, that raises serious concerns,”
Tharoor noted, while adding that he was aware of the sensitivity of commenting on another nation’s judiciary.
Sheikh Hasina, who has been living in Delhi since her removal from office in August last year, rejected the tribunal’s ruling outright. She accused the interim administration of manipulating the judicial process to eliminate her politically.
In a sharply worded statement, the 78-year-old leader said the verdict was issued by a “rigged tribunal” formed by an unelected government lacking democratic legitimacy. She alleged the ruling reflected the intent of hardline elements within the interim regime:
“Their call for the death penalty exposes their aim to wipe out Bangladesh’s last elected prime minister and dismantle the Awami League as a political force.”
The International Crimes Tribunal–Bangladesh (ICT-BD) sentenced Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal for alleged “crimes against humanity” linked to student-led protests that rocked Bangladesh last year. Both leaders were tried in absentia.
The case has deepened existing political tensions, especially as Hasina’s Awami League has already been barred from participating in the February national elections, raising questions about the credibility of the upcoming polls.
Maintaining that she has nothing to hide, Hasina challenged the interim government to take the matter to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. She insisted that only an international forum can ensure a transparent process:
“I am prepared to face my accusers before a properly constituted tribunal where evidence is independently scrutinized.”
Background
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received a death sentence from the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Dhaka on Monday after being found guilty of crimes against humanity linked to last year’s nationwide student uprising. The court ruled that Hasina and senior officials in her administration had orchestrated, or failed to prevent, violent crackdowns that left several protesters dead.
Hasina, now 78, refused to return from India to attend the hearings, leading the tribunal to try her in absentia. Former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also sentenced to death, while former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun received a five-year term but later turned approver.
The ruling comes ahead of the February national elections, from which Hasina’s Awami League has already been barred. Security across Bangladesh tightened as demonstrations and political tensions surged following the verdict.
Hasina, speaking from New Delhi, dismissed the judgment as biased and politically orchestrated, accusing the interim administration led by Dr Muhammad Yunus of using the tribunal to sideline her party and consolidate power. She demanded that the charges be tested before the International Criminal Court (ICC), arguing that only an impartial global forum could ensure a fair trial.
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