Rigged tribunal, politically motivated: Hasina on death sentence
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New Delhi (PTI): Sentenced to death after a trial in absentia in Bangladesh, a defiant Sheikh Hasina on Monday charged that the judgement has been made by a "rigged tribunal" established and presided over by an "unelected government with no democratic mandate".
In a strongly-worded statement, the 78-year-old Awami League leader, who has been living in India since she was deposed as prime minister of Bangladesh on August 5 last year following massive violent protests, said the "politically motivated" verdict reveals the "brazen and murderous intent of extremist figures within the interim government" against her and her party.
"I wholly deny the accusations that have been made against me in the ICT," Hasina said after she was sentenced to death on Monday by the country's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for "crimes against humanity" over her government's crackdown on student-led protests last year.
She was earlier declared a fugitive by the court.
In its verdict that followed a months-long trial, the ICT described her as the "mastermind and principal architect" of the violent repression that killed hundreds of protesters.
In her reaction, Hasina said the judgement has been made by a "rigged tribunal established and presided over by an unelected government with no democratic mandate".
"They are biased and politically motivated. In their distasteful call for the death penalty, they reveal the brazen and murderous intent of extremist figures within the interim government to remove Bangladesh's last elected prime minister, and to nullify the Awami League as a political force," she said in the statement.
Hasina said she was not afraid to face her "accusers" in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly.
"That is why I have repeatedly challenged the interim government to bring these charges before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague."
The verdict comes months before parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. Hasina's Awami League party has been barred from contesting the elections scheduled to be held in February.
She said millions of Bangladeshis toiling under the "chaotic, violent and socially-regressive" administration of Mohammad Yunus "will not be fooled by this attempt to short-change them of their democratic rights".
"They can see that the trials conducted by the so-called International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) were never intended to achieve justice or provide any genuine insight into the events of July and August 2025," Hasina said.
Rather, their purpose was to "scapegoat" the Awami League and to "distract the world's attention" from the failings of Yunus and his ministers, she charged.
The Yunus-led interim government in Dhaka took charge after the fall of the Hasina government.
"Under his aegis, public services have fallen apart. Police have retreated from the country's crime-ridden streets and judicial fairness has been subverted, with attacks on Awami League adherents going unpunished," she alleged.
"Hindus and other religious minorities are assaulted, and women's rights are suppressed. Islamic extremists inside the administration, including figures from Hizb-ut-Tahrir, seek to undermine Bangladesh's long tradition of secular government.
"Journalists are locked up and menaced, economic growth has stalled, and Yunus has delayed elections and then banned the country's most longstanding party (the Awami League) from participating in those elections," the former prime minister of Bangladesh charged.
In recent media interviews, Hasina has described the ICT as a "kangaroo court" run by her opponents.
The ICT, originally set up to try hardened collaborators of Pakistani forces during the 1971 Liberation War, was amended by the current administration to bring leaders of the past regime, including Hasina, under its jurisdiction.
"I mourn all of the deaths that occurred in July and August of last year, on both sides of the political divide. But neither I nor other political leaders ordered the killing of protestors. I comment further on the substance of the charges below. But first I note that I was given no fair chance to defend myself in court, nor even to have lawyers of my own choice represent me in absentia," she said.
Despite its name, there is "nothing international about the ICT; nor is it in any way impartial," Hasina said.
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Bill to regulate deepfakes tabled in Lok Sabha
New Delhi (PTI): A Private Member's Bill seeking a clear legal framework for regulation of deepfakes has been introduced in the Lok Sabha.
The Regulation of Deepfake Bill, introduced by Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde in the House on Friday, aims to protect citizens by mandating prior consent from individuals depicted in deepfake content.
"Misuse of deepfakes for harassment, deception and misinformation has escalated, creating an urgent need for regulatory safeguards," Shinde said.
The Bill also lists penalties for offenders creating or disseminating deepfake content with malicious intent.
"With advancements in artificial intelligence and deep learning, deepfake technology has emerged as a significant tool for media manipulation. While the technology has potential applications in education, entertainment and creative fields, it also poses severe risks when misused, threatening individual privacy, national security and public trust," Shinde said in the statement of objects and reasons in the Bill.
The proposed Bill seeks to establish a clear legal framework to govern the creation, distribution and application of deepfakes in India, said Shinde, a three-term Lok Sabha member from Kalyan.
The Bill also seeks to establish the Deepfake Task Force, a dedicated body to combat national security implications and evaluate the influence of deepfakes on privacy, civic participation, and potential election interference.
The task force will collaborate with academic and private sector institutions to develop technologies that detect manipulated content, thereby promoting credibility in digital media.
The Bill also proposes to establish a fund to support public and private sector initiatives in the detection and deterrence of advanced image manipulation.
A Private Member's Bill is a procedure of Parliament that enables lawmakers, who are not ministers, to draw attention to issues that might not be represented in Government Bills or to highlight the issues and gaps in the existing legal framework that require legislative intervention.
