🔗 Share this article

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity due to her harsh response on protests led by students which resulted in her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the disturbances during 2024.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her government's record on human rights.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection before the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and cheering as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with requests to remove government job quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by investigative sources during the current year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests told news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but to date India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; that's why I am disappointed," he continued.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

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

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

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "Both she and the organization has apologised or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this country."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not closure for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.