Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has rejected allegations of crimes against humanity linked to last year’s deadly crackdown, telling Parliament. BBC Security forces were never ordered to fire on demonstrators. Her comments come days before a special court issues its ruling in this high-profile case.
Hasina, who was ousted in August 2024 after weeks of student-led protests, is accused of personally directing security forces in a crackdown that left hundreds dead: allegations she denies. The prosecution is demanding the death penalty.
In her interview with BBCShe said the trial in absentia was a “farce” run by a “sham court” controlled by political opponents. She claimed the process was designed to produce a “predetermined guilty verdict.”
Security was tightened around the court in Dhaka ahead of Monday’s ruling, which is seen as a pivotal moment for the country and the families of those killed during the uprising.
“No order was issued to fire on civilians.”
UN human rights investigators say up to 1,400 people were killed when its government used lethal and systematic force to suppress protests. Hasina is accused of issuing direct instructions to the security services to shoot at demonstrators in the weeks before her escape.
She denied this “categorically” in her email interview with BBC. She said: “I do not deny that the situation is out of control, nor that many lives were lost unnecessarily. But I did not issue any order to shoot unarmed civilians.”
Earlier this year, a leaked audio recording of a phone call emerged in which Hasina appeared to authorize the use of “lethal weapons” in July 2024. The recording was played in court during the trial.
The accused include former ministers and the police chief
Hasina was formally charged last July along with former Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former Inspector General of Police Chaudhry Abdullah Al Mamun. The prosecution demanded the death penalty against Kamal, who was in hiding. Al-Mamoun pleaded guilty in July, but has not yet been sentenced.
Hasina said she was unable to defend herself or appoint a lawyer, adding that her opponents were trying to “liquidate” the Awami League as a political force. The party is already banned from running in the general elections scheduled for February.
Her lawyers said Monday, according to BBCThey submitted an urgent appeal to the United Nations, raising concerns about fair trial standards and due process at the International Crimes Court.
What more did Hasina say?
the BBC The interview also addressed allegations of forced disappearances, secret prisons and extrajudicial killings during her long tenure. After her ouster, several secret detention sites were exposed, with allegations that detainees had been detained for years without due process.
When asked who was responsible, Hasina said she had “no knowledge” of those facilities. She denied involvement in disappearances or extrajudicial killings. “This is objectionable as far as my personal involvement is concerned, but if there is evidence of mistreatment by officials, let it be properly examined in an impartial and apolitical process,” she said. BBC.
Hasina and senior figures from her previous administration also face separate corruption charges, which they deny.
(tags for translation) Sheikh Hasina’s court
