🔗 Share this article

Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for atrocities stemming from her crackdown on student-led protests which led to her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the unrest last year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her government's record on human rights.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security prior to the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The student-led uprising last year commenced through requests to remove government job quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

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

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the ballot.

This decision presents a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but until now India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disheartened," he added.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her former home minister and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

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

The advocate continued that the sentence was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. 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 "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.