🔗 Share this article

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

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the disturbances last year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

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

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a sudden increase in disturbances, 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 noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the authorities' representative told media outlets.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of others, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by external reviews in previous months implied she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest informed news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her return but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

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

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not closure for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We support numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.