Bangladesh prosecutor warns ex-PM Hasina faces execution if she returns

Bangladesh's chief prosecutor declared on Tuesday that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will face execution if she returns to the country, following her conviction in absentia on charges related to last year's violent suppression of mass demonstrations.

Hashina, who fled to India in early 2024 after weeks of escalating protests against her government, was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity. The charges stem from a brutal military and police crackdown that resulted in hundreds of deaths and sparked her dramatic exit from power.

The prosecutor's warning underscores the severity of Bangladesh's judicial response to Hasina's tenure and the mass casualties that occurred during the unrest. The former leader had governed Bangladesh for 15 years across two separate terms before the crisis forced her departure.

Hashina has remained in India since her flight from Dhaka, where she continues to deny responsibility for the deaths during the demonstrations. Her conviction in absentia reflects the interim government's commitment to holding her accountable for the violence, though her actual return to Bangladesh remains uncertain.