Bangladesh hands death sentences to 7 aides of ousted Prime Minister Hasina

Seven members of ousted PM Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League convicted of crimes including murder, provoking killings.Seven aides of ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have been sentenced to death in absentia on charges relating to their roles in trying to crush the country’s 2024 uprising.The seven men, members of ousted leader Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League, were convicted of crimes against humanity, including murder, as well as instigating and provoking killings.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Bangladesh protesters demand action over rising costslist 2 of 3Why Bangladesh has lost 1,000 lives to measles despite record vaccine drivelist 3 of 3Bangladesh holds presidential election in first contested vote in 35 yearsend of listA three-member tribunal in Dhaka, headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, issued the sentences on Tuesday.Those convicted include former state minister for information and broadcasting, Mohammad Ali Arafat, and Hasina’s Awami League party General-Secretary Obaidul Quader, who were charged with murder as well as instigating killings.Sixty-eight people have been convicted in cases related to the crackdown, and 22 have been given death sentences. Only four are currently in custody.Hasina, 78, was sentenced to death by hanging last November for charges of crimes against humanity for her role in the crackdown on the 2024 uprising that led to her fleeing the country she had ruled for 15 years.State-appointed defence lawyer M Hasan Imam said the seven men were not directly involved in the killings and that the court could have handed down a lesser sentence than death.“They were not directly involved in the killings; they have been convicted due to their fellow activists and supporters,” he said.The other five men are AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil, Saddam Hussain and Sheikh Wali Asif Enan.