News of Sheikh Hasina’s death sentence in the Indian and international media

The death sentence given by the International Crimes Tribunal against former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been making headlines in the Indian and international media. The verdict was announced on Monday (November 17) for the killing and repression of the student-led July movement last year. The 78-year-old Sheikh Hasina is currently a fugitive in India and the trial was completed in her absence.

The Indian media outlet NDTV has headlined - Sheikh Hasina Gets Death Penalty In Bangladesh For 'Crimes Against Humanity'. The report said that the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh found Sheikh Hasina guilty on three charges for ordering the repression of last year's student movement. The report mentioned that there was widespread loss of life in firing by security forces during the movement and as a result the Awami League government fell. NDTV also reported that former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has also been sentenced to death. And former police chief IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun's sentence was reduced to five years in prison due to his confessional testimony.

The Hindustan Times reported - Ex-PM Sheikh Hasina sentenced to death for 'crimes against humanity'. According to the report, Sheikh Hasina fled to India on August 5, 2024, after the government was toppled in student-led protests in July last year. Citing the court's observations, the report said - Sheikh Hasina ignored the students' anger and called them 'Rajakars'. Their report said that security has been tightened in the country, including the special court where the court is delivering the verdict.

The Times of India headlined - 'Crimes against humanity': Bangladesh's ousted PM Sheikh Hasina sentenced to death'. Their report said that after a month-long trial, the court accused Sheikh Hasina of being the 'mastermind' in suppressing the student protests. The newspaper said that the death of thousands of people in the movement was the main reason for the fall of the government and Sheikh Hasina has been living in exile in India since then.

Among the international media, Al Jazeera headlined - 'Bangladesh's Hasina sentenced to death for crimes against humanity'. The report said that Sheikh Hasina was tried in absentia and sentenced to death. It is mentioned that about 1,400 people were killed in last year's movement. Al Jazeera said that former IGP Al-Mamun was sentenced to five years in prison for providing confessional information, while former Home Minister Kamal was sentenced to death.

The news agency Reuters gave the headline - 'Bangladesh court sentences ousted PM Sheikh Hasina to death over student-led uprising crackdown'. They said that after a month-long trial, the court concluded that Sheikh Hasina had ordered a deadly crackdown on the protesters. The report said that she is currently in India and the trial was completed in her absence.

The BBC reported that ‘Ex-Bangladesh leader Sheikh Hasina sentenced to death over brutal protests crackdown’. The report said that according to the United Nations, about 1,400 people were killed in the protests, most of them by security forces. The BBC also reported that Sheikh Hasina had called the trial a ‘kangaroo court’ in an interview with the media. The report highlighted that the verdict will put the Indian government under a lot of pressure – but that the country is unlikely to turn her back.

Indian and international media coverage has highlighted Sheikh Hasina’s death sentence as one of the biggest political events in South Asia. At the same time, they have also seriously mentioned the possible impact of the verdict on regional geopolitics and the internal security situation in Bangladesh.