🔗 Share this article

Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity over her severe measures on youth demonstrations which led to her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the unrest during 2024.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, Hasina said the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and cheering as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the authorities' representative stated to press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources earlier this year indicated she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

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

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

After her departure, an temporary leadership under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has expressed no readiness to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disheartened," he stated further.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

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

While the sentence grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this country."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not finality for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We work with several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with the former leader and the old leadership," he stated.