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🇧🇩 Bangladesh /Crime & Justice

Botswana secures release of woman sentenced to death in Bangladesh

From Daily Star · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Outcome reported
  • Bangladesh released Lesedi Molapisi, a Botswana national sentenced to death for drug trafficking, after diplomatic efforts by Botswana and an appeal from President Duma Boko.
  • Molapisi, who was arrested in Dhaka in 2022, is expected to return to Botswana.
  • Botswana said its missions in South Africa and India also engaged Bangladeshi authorities over the case.

Lesedi Molapisi, a 33-year-old Botswana woman sentenced to death in Bangladesh for drug trafficking, has been released and is due to return home.

Botswana’s government said her release followed diplomatic efforts by its authorities and an appeal from President Duma Boko. Foreign Minister Phenyo Butale confirmed that Molapisi would arrive in Botswana.

Molapisi was arrested in Dhaka in 2022. She was reportedly found carrying heroin after arriving in Bangladesh on a flight from South Africa, and received a death sentence in 2024.

Botswana said its diplomatic missions in neighbouring South Africa and in India had also raised the case with Bangladeshi authorities. Amnesty International has said that more than 2,000 people were known to be on death row in Bangladesh by the end of 2025, while 185 new death sentences were recorded that year.

I can confirm that she will arrive in Botswana today.

— Phenyo ButaleBotswana’s foreign minister confirmed Molapisi’s expected return.
About this summary

Originally published by Daily Star in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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