🔗 Share this article

The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for atrocities stemming from her harsh response on protests led by students which resulted in her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom died during the disturbances 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.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards ahead of the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a recent spike in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

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

The student-led uprising last year started with requests to remove state employment quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of others, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by media examinations during the current year suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

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

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

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

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is set for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned last month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the election.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but until now India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

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

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this country."

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

"We assist multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

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

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