🔗 Share this article

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations due to her crackdown on student-led protests which caused her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards before the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a sudden increase in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson informed press agencies.

The student-led uprising in the previous year started with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by external reviews in previous months indicated she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest informed news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others 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 "carried out before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was outlawed 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 imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the election.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am sad," he stated further.

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her former home minister and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this country."

The activist added that the penalty was not finality for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Hasina and the previous administration," he said.