Bangladesh | Botswana Woman Executed for Drug Trafficking

Dhaka, Bangladesh – Lesedi Molapisi, a Botswana national convicted of drug trafficking, was executed in Bangladesh on Friday, 21 March 2025. The 31-year-old was hanged at Dhaka Central Jail after exhausting all legal avenues to appeal her death sentence.

Molapisi was arrested in January 2023 upon arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, where customs officials discovered 3.1 kilograms of heroin hidden in her luggage. Following a trial under Bangladesh’s Narcotics Control Act, she was sentenced to death in May 2024. Her execution was initially delayed due to political unrest in the country but was carried out last week.

Government officials in Bangladesh reaffirmed their country’s zero-tolerance stance on drug trafficking, citing the case as a warning to international smugglers. “Our laws are strict, and those who break them must face the consequences,” said an official from the Department of Narcotics Control.

Molapisi’s execution has sparked discussions in Botswana, with human rights groups and legal experts questioning the use of the death penalty for drug-related offences. Some activists have called for stronger diplomatic intervention in such cases, arguing that more should be done to protect citizens from severe foreign legal penalties.

Meanwhile, Botswana’s government has remained largely silent on the issue, though sources suggest that consular officials were involved in discussions before the execution.

Molapisi’s family has yet to release a statement, but reports indicate that efforts are underway to repatriate her remains to Botswana for burial.

Bangladesh enforces some of the world’s harshest drug laws, with capital punishment applied to offenders caught with significant quantities of illegal substances. Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have long criticised the country’s judicial process, arguing that it often lacks transparency and denies fair trial rights to foreign nationals.

This case has reignited debates over the global fight against drug trafficking and whether capital punishment is an effective deterrent.

While some view Molapisi’s execution as a clear stance against drug crimes, others have condemned it as excessive and inhumane. The incident has also raised concerns about the treatment of foreign nationals in Bangladesh’s legal system, particularly those from African nations who face execution without adequate legal representation.

As the international community continues to debate the implications of Molapisi’s case, her death serves as a grim reminder of the severe penalties associated with drug-related offences in certain jurisdictions.

   UPDATE  

Zimbabwe: 'My Daughter Is Alive' - Lesedi Molapisi's Father Denies 'Fake News' of Execution in Bangladesh

25 March 2025

New Zimbabwe (London)

By Timeslive

Goitsemodimo Molapisi, the father of Lesedi Molapisi, is urging the public to cease spreading fake news about his daughter's fate after reports of her execution circulated online.

Lesedi, who was arrested at a Bangladesh airport in 2022 with about 3kg of heroin, was sentenced to death for drug trafficking.

Goitsemodimo is adamant that his daughter is still alive and believes that she will be released.

"I'm praying day and night. My daughter will be released. I'm hopeful," he said in an interview with Newzroom Afrika.

In an emotional plea, Goitsemodimo expressed his distress about the harmful rumours.

"We were shocked to see fake news trending in the news media to the fact that my daughter has been executed, and this has been speculated by heartless people who are not sensitive enough to accommodate the parents, relatives and friends of Lesedi," he said.

"My daughter is still alive -- as you might be aware, she is in prison in Bangladesh. We have made an appeal, and she cannot be executed while that is being processed."

Lesedi's arrest came as a shock to her family, especially her father, who revealed that he had no knowledge of her trip to Bangladesh.

"Lesedi was not working. She was staying in Gaborone with her elder sister, and before her arrest she visited us in December. She left us around January 18 2022. We were really shocked."

Goitsemodimo said his daughter is alive and he has been in communication with her every week.

"I speak to Lesedi every Friday through her lawyer in Bangladesh. Even last Friday, we talked. She's still healthy, but the problem is that she's suffering from depression after being in prison for more than three years."

Goitsemodimo said he is in contact with Lesedi's lawyers and they have filed an appeal. They are awaiting a response from the judges.

The Botswana government has also been actively assisting in the case, with efforts to have Lesedi extradited to Botswana for prosecution.

Goitsemodimo expressed his gratitude for the support from Botswana's government, particularly from President Duma Boko.

"I'm very happy with the diplomatic efforts made by the president in assisting the family to secure a pardon for Lesedi. He is doing his best and I'm quite happy with the level of assistance."

He condemned those responsible for circulating the false reports of his daughter's execution. "This has affected us a lot because we are still working around the clock to assist my daughter, together with the government of Botswana, and these people are starting to speculate. It is really affecting us." [END]

Source: thezimbabwemail.com, Staff, March 22, 2025

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."

— Oscar Wilde