🔗 Share this article

Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her crackdown on protests led by students which led to her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and cheering as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the police spokesperson told media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader verified by investigative sources in previous months implied she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those killed during the protests informed press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

After her departure, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the vote.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but until now India has shown no willingness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disheartened," he continued.

Last week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not closure for the families of those killed and injured.

"We support numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with the former leader and the old leadership," he stated.