🔗 Share this article

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity over her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people died during the turmoil in the previous year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards before the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and cheering as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 began with requests to remove state employment quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of further participants, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by investigative sources during the current year indicated she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, kin of those killed during the protests told news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

After her departure, an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the election.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her return but until now India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disheartened," he continued.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not resolution for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.