DHAKA, Nov 26: The death sentence handed to Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reflects a politically orchestrated execution presented under the guise of law, carried out by an unelected authority through a tribunal reshaped specifically to target her, according to a report by Eurasia Review.
Analysts argue that the verdict is not merely a miscarriage of justice but a warning to the nation, highlighting how political power can manipulate judicial institutions.
The interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus, the report notes, deliberately dismantled due process to silence Hasina, a former leader who once challenged entrenched networks now in control of the state machinery.
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), initially established to address atrocities committed during Bangladesh’s 1971 conflict, was altered via executive orders that restructured its authority without review by any elected body.
Investigators were granted powers to conduct searches and seizures without judicial oversight, while defence teams were allotted only three weeks instead of six to prepare, severely limiting their ability to analyse evidence, summon witnesses, or mount a coherent defence.
Prosecutors were authorized to issue search warrants independently, bypassing tribunal oversight.
Furthermore, amendments to the ICT Act barred individuals charged—even without conviction—from elections or public office, enabling political rivals to be sidelined without proof.
Sheikh Hasina’s legal team faced severe restrictions, including lack of time, resources, and access to evidence.
Rebuttal evidence and expert testimony were dismissed, and Hasina was denied the right to a retrial if tried in absentia, violating international human rights norms.
Analysts describe the trial as a performance with a foregone conclusion rather than a legitimate judicial process.
The verdict underscores how courts can be co-opted as instruments of political power, with legal procedures serving to eliminate opposition.
Observers warn that such manipulation undermines public trust in the judiciary, weakens democratic norms, and signals that political vengeance can masquerade as justice.
The report concludes that if judicial processes can be rewritten to target one leader, they can be applied to anyone, leaving Bangladesh at a perilous crossroads where truth, fairness, and democratic integrity are at risk. (IANS)
