🔗 Share this article

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations over her harsh response on student-led protests 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 lost their lives during the disturbances last year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had demanded severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and applauding as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a recent spike in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the authorities' representative told media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 began with demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by media examinations earlier this year implied she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest informed news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

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

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

After her departure, an temporary leadership led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the ballot.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to comply.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disappointed," he continued.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her former home minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed press agencies. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not closure for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Hasina and the previous administration," he said.