Bangladesh’s prosecutors have called for the execution of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in exile in India, over her alleged role in the violent suppression of student-led protests in 2024. The unrest, which lasted for weeks, resulted in the deaths of up to 1,400 people and ultimately ended Hasina’s 15-year tenure as the country’s leader. This marked the deadliest episode of violence in Bangladesh since its 1971 independence war. Hasina is now on trial for crimes against humanity, with prosecutors accusing her of ordering security forces to use lethal force against demonstrators. A leaked audio recording allegedly captures her issuing the directive, though she denies the charges. Chief prosecutor Tajul Islam argued in court that Hasina’s actions were driven by a desire to maintain power indefinitely for herself and her family, describing her as a “hardened criminal” who shows no remorse. The protests initially began in July 2024 over civil service job quotas for relatives of 1971 war veterans but quickly escalated into a broader movement demanding her ouster. One of the bloodiest incidents occurred on August 5, when police killed at least 52 people in a Dhaka neighborhood, marking one of the worst cases of police violence in the country’s history. Hasina fled by helicopter that day as crowds stormed her residence. She is being tried alongside her former interior minister, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, with prosecutors also seeking the death penalty for Kamal. Chowdhury has pleaded guilty but awaits sentencing. Hasina has already been sentenced to six months for contempt of court and faces separate corruption charges. With Bangladesh’s next elections scheduled for February 2025, Hasina’s party, the Awami League, has been barred from participating, leaving her rival, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), as the frontrunner.