THE death sentence that International Crimes Tribunal 1 ordered on November 17 for the deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and the home minister of the fallen Awami League government Asaduzzaman Khan was expected in view of the crimes against humanity committed during the July uprising and the law of the land. The Hasina government killed close to a thousand and injured about 20,000 democracy protesters in about three weeks, beginning in the middle of July 2024. Besides, about a thousand of the protesters lost their vision having been injured in the eye. The court sentenced Sheikh Hasina to the death penalty on charges of ordering the use of drones, helicopters and lethal weapons to kill the protesters, killing six protesters at Chankharpool in Dhaka and killing and burning six protesters on Dhaka鈥檚 outskirts of Ashulia. The court also sentenced her to imprisonment until death on charges of provoking violence by calling protesters Razakars. The event is, however, politically unfortunate as the Awami League, an old political party which has had its activities banned pending the completion of the trial of the July crimes against humanity, has had a significant contribution to the democratic movements in different phases of the country and Sheikh Hasina also had a notable share in the contribution in her early years.
This having happened, the victims of the July uprising and victim families have, however, expressed dissatisfaction about the sentence of imprisonment for five years of the former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, who turned state鈥檚 evidence. Although the former inspector general of police helped the court to ensure justice in the case, he should have been given a harsher punishment in view of the fact that he had commanded all the police force that committed the atrocities during the July uprising. Many of the victims and families have said that they will file an appeal seeking punishment harsher than only five years鈥� imprisonment for him as their resentment appears not wholly unfounded. Now what remains for the government to do is to put diplomatically legitimate pressure on India, where Sheikh Hasina is now living, to extradite her for the execution of the court verdict or for the convicts to appeal against the verdict. Under the extradition treaty that Bangladesh and India have, Bangladesh handed over United Liberation Front of Assam leader Anup Chetia to India on November 11, 2015, keeping to the extradition treaty signed in 2013. India handed over Risaldar Moslehuddin Khan, convicted of assassinating Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, to Bangladesh in April 2020 and another, Abdul Majed, in February that year. They both were reported to have lived in West Bengal for more than two decades.
Dhaka has already asked New Delhi on several occasions to seek the extradition of Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India with the fall of the Awami League regime on August 5, 2024. Dhaka New Delhi should comply in view of good neighbourly relations and gestures.