(MENAFN) Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Monday issued an in absentia death sentence to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in a crimes against humanity prosecution.

The ruling determined she was culpable for directing a brutal suppression of student-led demonstrations last year, media outlets reported.

The accusations against Hasina encompass murder, attempted murder, torture, and purportedly commanding the deployment of lethal force against demonstrators.

"The verdicts announced against me have been made by a rigged tribunal established and presided over by an unelected government with no democratic mandate. They are biased and politically motivated," Hasina declared in a statement.

Hasina, who escaped to India following the 2024 uprising, stated in a recent interview that the judgment was a "foregone conclusion." She currently resides in India.

As many as 1,400 individuals perished, predominantly from gunfire by security personnel during the crackdown, according to UN estimates. The demonstrations ceased after her departure from the nation.

Additional defendants charged in the case include former Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun. Al-Mamun was the sole accused physically present in court.

The chief adviser of the provisional Bangladesh government now governing the country is Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus. Bangladesh is scheduled to conduct elections in 2026. Hasina's Awami League, which held authority for 15 years preceding the revolt, has been prohibited from competing.

Hasina is the daughter of Bangladesh's first president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was killed in a 1975 military takeover.

Before the verdict, hundreds of demonstrators marched toward Dhanmondi 32, Rahman's former residence.

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