Former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, hiding out in India, has denied committing crimes against humanity as she faces a possible death sentence over last year’s student-led uprising that toppled her.
In an interview with the BBC, Hasina called the trial in absentia a political “farce” and said the verdict is “pre-ordained.”
“I’m not denying that the situation got out of control, nor that many lives were lost needlessly. But I never issued any order to fire on unarmed civilians,” Hasina said in an email to the BBC.
Hasina is heard ordering thugs in her regime to shoot her own citizens in a leaked recording. She has been dubbed the “Butcher of Bengal” for her conduct in 2024.
UN investigators say up to 1,400 people were killed when her government used systematic violence in July 2024. Security has been tightened in Dhaka ahead of Monday’s verdict.