No one is above law: Yunus hails Hasinas death sentence as landmark

New Delhi: Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, on Monday lauded the special tribunal's verdict sentencing former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and ex-home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death. 

Yunus declared it a "powerful reminder that no one, regardless of power, is above the law." The International Crimes Tribunal–Bangladesh (ICT-BD) delivered the judgment in absentia, convicting the two for "crimes against humanity" during last year's violent student-led uprising.

In a strong statement, Yunus emphasised the ruling's profound significance for a nation striving to recover from a tumultuous period. "Today, the courts of Bangladesh have spoken with a clarity that resonates across the nation and beyond," he stated. "The conviction and sentencing affirm a fundamental principle: no one, regardless of power, is above the law."

Yunus assumed leadership as chief adviser of the interim government in August of the preceding year, just three days after Hasina departed from Dhaka. Since then, he has consistently underscored the imperative of reinstating democratic institutions and ensuring accountability.

From exile in Insia since August 5 2024, Hasina vehemently dismissed the verdict as "biased and politically motivated," alleging that the tribunal was "rigged" and operated by an unelected administration lacking a "democratic mandate." The court has already declared her a fugitive, and Kamal is also believed to be residing in India.

Yunus asserted that the tribunal’s ruling offers long-overdue recognition to the victims of the July and August 2024 protests, a period during which a UN rights office estimated that as many as 1,400 people lost their lives. "The crimes at issue – the ordering of lethal force against young people and children whose only weapons were their voices – violated both our laws and the basic bond between government and citizens," Yunus declared. "These acts outraged Bangladeshis’ core values: dignity, resilience, and commitment to justice."

He further revealed that evidence presented to the tribunal included accounts of helicopters being used to fire upon unarmed demonstrators. The ruling specifies that Hasina was sentenced to death for authorising the use of deadly force, making inflammatory remarks, and approving operations that resulted in the deaths of several students in Dhaka and surrounding areas.

Yunus stated that the verdict acknowledges the suffering of thousands and reaffirms that Bangladesh's justice system "will hold perpetrators accountable." He stressed that while the ruling represents a significant stride, rebuilding trust in state institutions remains equally crucial. "I have every confidence that Bangladesh will meet the challenges ahead with courage and humility," he added. "With commitment to the rule of law, human rights, and each person’s potential, justice will not merely survive in Bangladesh. It will prevail and sustain."