SAUDI EXPATRIATES

According to the tribunal, Hasina encouraged and ordered law enforcement to commit extrajudicial killings. The judges said she failed to stop these abuses and even directed police to “eliminate” protesting students. One judge stated, “She committed crimes against humanity by her incitement, order, and failure to punish.”

In court, some family members of the victims applauded when the verdict was announced. Trending: 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims feared dead after Saudi bus accident

➤ The protests began peacefully. Students were demanding fair civil service job quotas.

➤ But things escalated. The government cracked down hard, and according to a UN human rights report, as many as 1,400 people may have been killed, and 25,000 were injured.

➤ The tribunal charged Hasina on five counts, including encouraging murder, ordering protesters to be hanged, and using lethal weapons—even helicopters and drones—to control the unrest. She has denied all charges.

🔹 Hasina ran Bangladesh with a strong grip from 2009 until she lost power in 2024.

🔹 Her trial and the death sentence raise fears of political chaos as new national elections are expected in February next year.

🔹 Since August of the previous year, Hasina has lived in self-imposed exile in New Delhi, India.

🔹 Bangladesh’s interim government has asked India to extradite her, but so far, India has not responded. Most Viewed: How to verify Saudi visit visas online

🔘 Before the verdict, violence broke out in Dhaka. People on motorbikes threw Molotov cocktails, and several exploded.

🔘 Security was tightened around the court. Armored vehicles, riot police, and border security forces were deployed near major government buildings.

🔘 Hasina’s son warned that her supporters may block next year’s elections if her party—the Awami League—remains banned. He said protests could become “stronger and stronger” and possibly violent, unless the international community intervenes.

■ Sheikh Hasina’s life is closely tied to Bangladesh’s history. She is the eldest daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s founding father.

■ Her family was assassinated in a 1975 military coup, after which she went into exile. She returned in 1981 to lead the Awami League, her father’s party.

■ She first became Prime Minister in 1996. She came back to power in 2008 and remained leader until her ouster in 2024.

■ During her rule, Bangladesh saw strong economic growth. But critics and human rights groups accused her government of becoming authoritarian—limiting free speech, arresting journalists and activists, and using cyber laws to control dissent. Recommend: Saudi Arabia clarifies rules for property ownership by non-Saudis

👉 Hasina's supporters argue that the trial is politically motivated, aiming to prevent her and her party from gaining power..

👉 The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, argues the trial is crucial for justice. They say it will restore trust in Bangladesh’s democracy and hold powerful people accountable.