DHAKA, BANGLADESH—In a powerful and emotionally charged scene outside the Supreme Court this morning, a father whose son was killed during last year’s historic student protests demanded the maximum punishment for deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was today convicted of crimes against humanity by the International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1).

Abdur Rob, the father of July Uprising martyr Miraz, gave a chilling voice to the grief of hundreds of families, stating that the true measure of their loss is a burden only they can bear.

“Only those who has lost a child like he did can understand ‘how heavy the body of a child is’,” Rob said, choking back emotion as he stood near the Supreme Court Mazar Gate ahead of the ICT-1’s delivery of the verdict.

Demand for ‘Hundred Deaths’

Rob, who has accused Sheikh Hasina of personally ordering the deadly crackdown on student protesters, was unwavering in his demand for the death penalty.

“If Sheikh Hasina is given the death penalty, she will die only once. We want her to face death hundreds and thousands of times,” he passionately told reporters.

He further detailed the brutal manner of his son’s death: Miraz was allegedly shot dead by police in Jatrabari on August 5 last year, just as young people were celebrating their momentary victory. Rob recalled that the footage of police firing under the flyover had “shocked the entire nation.”

To convey the anguish felt by the victims’ families, Rob made an unprecedented and visceral demand for retribution against the former premier.

“Even the death penalty would not be enough. We demand that Sheikh Hasina and her associates be brought back and shot in the legs and chest, so they understand how painfully their children died,” he demanded.

ICT-1 Delivers Historic Verdict

The emotional scene unfolded as the International Crimes Tribunal-1 began delivering its highly anticipated verdict in the case against Sheikh Hasina and two of her aides over alleged crimes against humanity committed during the July-August 2024 mass uprising.

• Conviction: The court today convicted the former Prime Minister of crimes against humanity for her role in ordering the lethal crackdown.

• Aides Included: The verdict also addresses charges against her former Home Minister, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former Inspector General of Police, Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who later turned state witness.

• Security: Security remains on unprecedented high alert across the capital as the country awaits the full sentencing details in the historic case.