🔗 Share this article

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for atrocities due to her harsh response on protests led by students which resulted in her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Families of those killed and injured had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards before the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a sudden increase in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to news organizations.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with demands to abolish government job quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations informed press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

A different family member, whose husband was killed 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 achieve closure in their minds."

Following her removal, an interim government under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

She alerted last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the vote.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her repatriation but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disappointed," he continued.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

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

While the sentence grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against the former leader and the her political party has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not closure for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.