The prosecution’s appeal seeking the death penalty against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who were sentenced to life imprisonment in a crimes against humanity case over the July uprising, is expected to be placed before the Chamber Judge’s Court within a day or two.
Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim disclosed the information on Sunday.
Earlier, on December 15, the state filed an appeal seeking enhancement of the sentences awarded to Sheikh Hasina and Kamal in connection with crimes against humanity committed during the July uprising centred on the anti-discrimination student movement.
On November 27, the prosecution had announced its decision to appeal for an increased sentence for the former prime minister.
Prosecutor Tamim said that on November 17, Tribunal-1 delivered its verdict in the case, sentencing Sheikh Hasina and Kamal to life imprisonment on one charge and death on another.
“After receiving the full verdict, we decided to appeal seeking the death penalty in place of life imprisonment on the relevant charge,” he said, adding that the appeal was filed within 30 days of the verdict.
On November 17, the tribunal sentenced Sheikh Hasina and Kamal to death by hanging along with life imprisonment and ordered confiscation of all their properties in the country. Former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, a witness in the case, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.
The verdict was delivered by a three-member bench of Tribunal-1 led by its chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumdar. The full verdict was published nine days later.
The prosecution had brought five charges against the three accused, while the tribunal considered six incidents under two charges.
Under charge one, three incidents were cited: a speech at a press conference at Ganabhaban on July 14, 2024, in which protesters were described as Razakars; a phone conversation later that night between Sheikh Hasina and Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Maksud Kamal, allegedly inciting action against the protesters; and the failure of the accused to prevent subordinates from committing crimes, resulting in the police killing of Abu Sayed in Rangpur. For these incidents, Hasina and Kamal were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Under charge two, the tribunal cited three incidents: a phone conversation on July 18, 2024, between Sheikh Hasina, former Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Fazle Noor Taposh and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President Hasanul Haq Inu, in which orders were allegedly given to locate protesters using drones and to carry out killings using helicopters and lethal weapons; the killing of six protesters by police in Chankharpul on August 5; and the killing and burning of six people the same day in Ashulia, Savar. For these incidents, Sheikh Hasina and Kamal were sentenced to death.
The tribunal also ordered confiscation of all their assets, directing the government to distribute them among victims of the July uprising. Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun received a five-year prison sentence on both charges.