Amnesty International on Monday night said the death sentence handed to deposed Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan in the July鈥揂ugust 2024 mass uprising case was neither fair nor just and failed to deliver justice to the victims.
Reacting to the International Crimes Tribunal鈥檚 decision to convict Hasina and Asaduzzaman in absentia of crimes against humanity, AI Secretary General Agn猫s Callamard said the victims deserve accountability, but the death penalty only compounds human rights violations.
鈥業t is the ultimate cruel, degrading, and inhuman punishment and has no place in any justice process,鈥� she stated.
Callamard emphasised that those individually responsible for the alleged crimes during the student-led protests must face investigation and prosecution through fair trials. More than 1,400 people were killed and thousands injured during the events, she noted, adding that justice for survivors requires independent and impartial proceedings that meet international human rights standards.
Amnesty International criticised the tribunal for its lack of independence and history of unfair proceedings. The organisation also expressed concern over the unprecedented speed of the trial in absentia and the verdict, saying it raises serious questions about fairness in a case of such scale and complexity.
Although Hasina was represented by a court-appointed lawyer, the time provided to prepare a defence was 鈥榤anifestly inadequate,鈥� Callamard said. Reports that the defence was not allowed to cross-examine contradictory evidence further reinforced concerns over due process.
鈥楾his was not a fair trial. The victims of July 2024 deserve far better,鈥� she said, urging Bangladesh to ensure a justice process that is scrupulously fair, fully impartial, and free from any suspicion of bias, without resorting to the death penalty.
Amnesty International reiterated its long-standing opposition to the death penalty in all cases, regardless of the crime, the individual鈥檚 guilt or innocence, or the method used by the state to carry out executions.