🔗 Share this article

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for human rights violations stemming from her severe measures on youth demonstrations which caused her removal from power.

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

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had called for tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque informed media outlets.

The student-led uprising during 2024 commenced through demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by media examinations during the current year implied she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests stated to press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

She alerted in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the vote.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but until now India has shown no willingness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disappointed," he continued.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not resolution for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he said.