Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sharply rejected the death sentence handed to her by the country’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), denouncing the verdict as the product of a “rigged tribunal" operating under an “unelected government with no democratic mandate."

In a strongly worded written statement, Hasina said the ruling reflected the “brazen and murderous intent of extremist figures within the interim government" who, she claimed, were determined to eliminate her politically and dismantle the Awami League. She reiterated that the charges against her—linked to the deadly student-led unrest of July–August 2024—were fabricated, and that the process leading to the verdict had lacked even the most basic standards of justice.

“The guilty verdict against me was a foregone conclusion," she wrote, adding that “no genuinely respected or professional jurist in the world would endorse the Bangladesh ICT."

Hasina accused the interim administration led by Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus of weaponising the judiciary to distract from its own failures. According to her, Bangladesh under Yunus has descended into “chaotic, violent and socially regressive" governance marked by attacks on minorities, suppression of dissent, and a collapse of public services.

A central pillar of her rebuttal is the claim that she was denied a fair chance to defend herself. She said she had neither been allowed to choose her own legal team nor present evidence in her favour. She challenged the government to take the case to the International Criminal Court, asserting, “I am not afraid to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

On the specific allegations of ordering lethal force during the 2024 protests, Hasina maintained that the government had acted “in good faith" during a period of escalating violence, and that operational decisions were made by security forces on the ground. She argued that prosecutors relied on “fragmentary" and “out of context" transcripts, while ignoring evidence of provocateurs and armed agitators.

Hasina also disputed widely cited casualty figures and insisted that the interim government halted a judicial inquiry she initiated to uncover the full truth. She framed her administration’s 15-year record as one of economic growth and human rights progress, contrasting it with what she described as Yunus’s “vengeful cronies."

“The future of Bangladesh belongs to its people," she concluded, urging that next year’s election must be “free, fair and inclusive."

Source: News18