In a dramatic legal development, Bangladeshi prosecutors have demanded the death penalty for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is accused of orchestrating a brutal crackdown during a student-led uprising in 2024. Hasina, currently a fugitive in India, has defied court orders to return and face trial. The prosecution alleges that she was the central figure behind the violence, which resulted in the deaths of up to 1,400 people between July and August 2024. Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam argued that Hasina should face the harshest punishment, stating, ‘For 1,400 murders, she should be sentenced 1,400 times—but since that is not humanly possible, we demand at least one.’ The trial, which began on June 1, has heard extensive testimony implicating Hasina in ordering or failing to prevent mass killings. Prosecutors have filed five charges, including crimes against humanity, under Bangladeshi law. Hasina, who denies all allegations, is being tried in absentia alongside two former senior officials. Her ex-interior minister, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, is also a fugitive, while former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun is in custody and has pleaded guilty. The prosecution has presented evidence, including audio tapes allegedly featuring Hasina ordering security forces to ‘use lethal weapons’ against protesters. The trial is nearing its conclusion, with the interim government aiming to prepare the nation for elections in February. Hasina, already convicted of contempt of court in July, faces additional corruption charges, as do several of her relatives. Critics have long accused her government of rights abuses, including the murder of opposition activists and the suppression of press freedom.