🔗 Share this article

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on protests led by students which caused her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had requested strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the authorities' representative told media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of others, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews earlier this year implied she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, family members of those killed during the protests stated to news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration led by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her return but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; which is why I am disheartened," he added.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to families of killed 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 decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "Both she and the organization has apologised or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this nation."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We support numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.