As a result of the violence that marked the end of Hasina's 15-year rule, up to 1,400 people were killed, making it the deadliest conflict in the country since 1971, during the war for independence.
The Attorney General Tajul Islam noted that Hasina deserves a total of 1,400 death sentences, but added that they are demanding at least one. In his statement to the court, he said: “Hasina's goal was to hold onto power forever, both for herself and for her family.” Islam also described her as a “hardened criminal” who shows no remorse for her actions.
Protests against quotas for government positions for relatives of veterans of the 1971 war began in July 2024 but soon escalated into a mass movement demanding Hasina's ousting.
According to a BBC investigation, some of the most brutal scenes occurred on August 5, when Hasina left the country by helicopter while protesters attempted to storm her residence in Dhaka.
On that day, police killed at least 52 people in one of the most horrific uses of force in Bangladesh's history.
Hasina's state-appointed defender claims that security forces opened fire in response to the aggressive actions of the protesters.
Also on trial are former Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Kamal, who is also in hiding, while Chowdhury has pleaded guilty, although he has not yet been sentenced.
Previously, Hasina was sentenced to six months in prison for contempt of court and has also been charged with corruption.
The next elections in the country are scheduled for February, with the opposition party BNP as the favorite, while her own party, the Awami League, has been barred from participating in the elections.
