🔗 Share this article

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity due to her severe measures on student-led protests which caused her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and injured had demanded strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, Hasina said the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection before the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and cheering as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque informed press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year started with calls to eliminate government job quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of further participants, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by investigative sources earlier this year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those killed during the protests stated to press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

After her departure, an caretaker administration led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her repatriation but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disappointed," he continued.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her former home minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist told news organizations. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This creates challenges 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 kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.