Families of Bangladesh protest victims want Hasina ‘brought back, hanged’

Dhaka, Bangladesh – Shahina Begum broke down successful tears the infinitesimal a peculiar tribunal successful superior Dhaka sentenced deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her adjacent aide, erstwhile Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, to death for crimes against humanity.

Begum’s 20-year-old lad Sajjat Hosen Sojal was changeable and his assemblage burned by the constabulary connected August 5, 2024, hours earlier a student-led uprising forced Hasina to resign and fly the state she had ruled with an robust archetypal for 15 years.

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Prosecutors allege that six pupil protesters were killed that time successful Ashulia, a readymade garments hub connected the outskirts of Dhaka: 5 changeable and their bodies burned, portion different was allegedly burned live wrong the constabulary station.

The killings, allegedly ordered by Hasina successful a hopeless bid to bent connected to power, were portion of a brutal crackdown by information forces connected what is referred to successful Bangladesh arsenic the July Uprising, during which much than 1,400 protesters were killed, according to the United Nations.

After a months-long proceedings held successful absentia arsenic Hasina and Khan had fled to neighbouring India, Dhaka’s International Crimes Tribunal connected Monday sentenced the 2 to death, portion a 3rd accused – erstwhile constabulary main Chowdhury Abdullah al-Mamun – was fixed a five-year jailhouse word due to the fact that helium had turned a authorities witness.

“I cannot beryllium calm until she [Hasina] is brought backmost and hanged successful this country,” Begum told Al Jazeera connected Monday night, arsenic the historic verdict triggered a surge of emotions crossed the state of 170 cardinal people.

“My lad screamed for assistance wrong that constabulary station. No 1 saved him. I volition not remainder until those who burned him tin ne'er harm different mother’s kid again.”

Begum with her lad Sojal astatine the City University field wherever helium studied [Courtesy of Shahina Begum]

But arsenic hundreds of families who mislaid their loved ones during past year’s uprising travel to presumption with Monday’s landmark sentencing, galore wonderment if Hasina volition really look justice.

There are questions astir whether India, a adjacent state of Hasina during her 15 years of rule, would extradite her and Khan, oregon whether it mightiness alternatively assistance them flight justice.

“They took 5 minutes to pain my lad alive, but it took astir a twelvemonth and a fractional to present this verdict,” said Begum from her ancestral location successful Shyampur colony successful the bluish Gaibandha district.

“Can this authorities truly bring her backmost from India? What happens if the authorities changes and the adjacent 1 protects Hasina and her collaborators? Who volition warrant that these killers won’t escape?”

‘Sentence indispensable beryllium carried out’

As hundreds gathered extracurricular the tribunal gathering successful Dhaka connected Monday, Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdho – whose member Mir Mugdho was changeable dormant during the uprising – said Hasina “deserves the maximum punishment galore times over,” urging the authorities to bring her backmost to Bangladesh to enforce the judgement.

Standing adjacent to him was Syed Gazi Rahman, begetter of killed protester Mutasir Rahman. He called for the condemnation to beryllium carried retired “swiftly and publicly,” accusing Hasina of “emptying the hearts of thousands of families”.

Some 300km (186 miles) away, astatine Bhabnapur Jaforpara colony successful the bluish territory of Rangpur, household members of Abu Sayeed besides welcomed the decease condemnation against the erstwhile premier minister.

Sayeed was the archetypal casualty of the July Uprising, which started with chiefly student-led protests against a controversial quota system for authorities jobs that disproportionately favoured the children of radical who fought successful the 1971 warfare for independency from Pakistan.

On July 16, 2024, Sayeed, a pupil leader, was changeable dormant by the constabulary portion demonstrating successful Rangpur.

“My bosom has yet cooled down. I americium satisfied. She indispensable beryllium brought backmost from India and executed successful Bangladesh without delay,” said his father, Mokbul Hossain.

“My lad is gone. It pains me. The condemnation indispensable beryllium carried out,” added his mother, Monowara Begum. She said the household distributed sweets to those visiting them aft the verdict.

Sanjida Khan Dipti, parent of Shahriar Khan Anas, a 10th-grade pupil who was changeable dormant successful Dhaka’s Chankharpul neighbourhood connected August 5, 2024, told Al Jazeera the verdict is “only a consolation”.

“Justice volition beryllium served the time it is executed,” she said.

“As a mother, adjacent 1,400 decease sentences would beryllium insufficient for idiosyncratic who emptied the hearts of thousands of mothers. The satellite indispensable spot the consequences erstwhile a ruler unleashes wide sidesplitting to cling to power. God whitethorn assistance you time, but He does not spare.”

Dipti said she was not satisfied with the verdict against erstwhile constabulary main al-Mamun.

“Abdullah al-Mamun should person received a longer condemnation because, arsenic portion of the nation’s information force, helium became a slayer of our children,” she said.

‘No dictator should emergence again’

Several processions were taken retired successful Dhaka and different parts of the state connected Monday aft Hasina was sentenced to death.

During a march wrong the field of the Dhaka University, Ar Rafi, a second-year undergraduate student, said they volition rally to request Hasina’s extradition from India.

“We are blessed for now. But we privation Hasina brought backmost from India and executed. We, the students, volition stay connected the streets until her condemnation is carried out,” helium told Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, a radical called Maulik Bangla staged a symbolic enactment of Hasina’s execution astatine Dhaka’s Shahbagh intersection country aft the tribunal’s verdict.

“This is simply a connection that nary dictator should emergence again,” said Sharif Osman bin Hadi, spokesperson for Inquilab Manch (Revolution Front), a non-partisan taste organisation inspired by the July Uprising.

Political parties, including the main absorption Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party, besides welcomed the verdict.

“This judgement proves that nary substance however almighty a fascist oregon autocrat becomes, they volition 1 time person to basal successful the dock,” BNP person Salahuddin Ahmed told reporters connected Monday.

Jamaat person Mia Golam Porwar said the ruling proves that “no caput of authorities oregon almighty governmental person is supra the law”, and that the verdict offers “some measurement of comfort” to families of those killed during the uprising.

The United Nations quality rights bureau said portion it considered the verdict was “an important infinitesimal for the victims”, it stressed that a proceedings held successful absentia and resulting successful a decease condemnation whitethorn not person followed owed process and just proceedings standards, arsenic it reiterated its absorption to superior punishment.

Rights radical Amnesty International besides raised concerns astir the fairness of the trial, saying the victims “deserve acold better” and informing that rushed proceedings successful absentia hazard undermining justice.

“Victims request justness and accountability, yet the decease punishment simply compounds quality rights violations. It’s the eventual cruel, degrading and inhuman punishment and has nary spot successful immoderate justness process,” it said.

But the families of the victims accidental the verdict was a designation of the brutality of the crackdown, and raises hopes for a closure.

“This verdict sends a message: justness is inevitable,” said Atikul Gazi, a 21-year-old TikToker from Dhaka’s Uttara country who survived being changeable astatine point-blank scope connected August 5, 2024, but ended up losing his near arm.

A selfie video of him smiling – contempt missing an limb – went viral past year, making him a awesome of resilience. “It feels similar the souls of the July martyrs volition present find immoderate peace,” Gazi told Al Jazeera.