🔗 Share this article

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity stemming from her severe measures on student-led protests which caused her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people died during the unrest during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and injured had requested tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security before the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a recent spike in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The student-led uprising last year commenced through requests to remove state employment quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations in previous months implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations informed press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; which is why I am sad," he continued.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her former home minister and police chief.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this country."

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

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.