Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 04:28am on 30 Oct 2025,Thursday International
Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina refuses to apologize for the deadly crackdown on protests that toppled her government last year, despite prosecutors seeking the death penalty for crimes against humanity. In a rare interview with The Independent, Hasina rejected allegations she ordered lethal force against student protesters, blaming "breakdowns in discipline among security forces" for up to 1,400 deaths. Living in exile in India after 15 years of iron-fisted rule, she called the International Crimes Tribunal proceedings a "sham trial" driven by political vengeance. Hasina defended fleeing Bangladesh last August as acting "out of necessity," insisting she remains committed to "restoring democracy" despite her Awami League party being banned from contesting February 2026 elections. (PC: The Independent)
