Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has exhausted all legal options against her death sentence, the country’s chief prosecutor said on Tuesday. Md Aminul Islam made the announcement to reporters at the tribunal in Dhaka.
Hasina fled Bangladesh in August 2024 after a mass uprising and has since stayed in India. Her legal status in India is unclear, according to a report published Tuesday by the Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Waadaa.
Last November, the Dhaka-based International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina to death for crimes against humanity. The conviction stems from her role in a brutal crackdown during the 2024 uprising that ended her administration.
The United Nations reported that at least 1,400 people were killed and thousands more were injured during the civil unrest. The UN attributed many of these fatalities directly to Hasina’s security forces and supporters of her Awami League party.
Islam stated that Hasina could have appealed the verdict within 30 days of its publication. "If she genuinely wanted to return to Bangladesh, she would have come back while the trial was ongoing and faced the case," he told reporters.
The chief prosecutor also dismissed media reports suggesting a London-based legal chamber had requested a Bangladeshi passport or travel document for Hasina. He cited legal restrictions under the Bangladesh Passport Order of 1973, which prohibits issuing passports to individuals with criminal convictions.
Islam questioned whether factions within Hasina’s Awami League party were exploiting her as a political asset to cause instability inside Bangladesh. He suggested a specific course of action for her repatriation.
"If she genuinely wants to return, she should make a written request to the Indian government seeking her return under the extradition treaty," Islam said.
