Sheikh Hasina: Death penalty sought for Bangladesh's fugitive ex-leader

Hasina is being tried in absentia over her deadly crackdown on student-led protests last year.

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Hasina, who has fled to India, is on trial for crimes against humanity. According to a leaked audio clip, she ordered security forces to "use lethal weapons" against protesters. She denies the charges.

Up to 1,400 people were killed in weeks of unrest that ended Hasina's 15-year rule. It was the worst violence Bangladesh had seen since its 1971 war of independence.

Chief prosecutor Tajul Islam said Hasina deserves 1,400 death sentences. "Since that is not humanly possible, we demand at least one," he said.

"[Hasina's] goal was to cling to power permanently, for herself and her family," Islam told the court on Thursday.