🔗 Share this article

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for atrocities over her severe measures on youth demonstrations which led to her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest last year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had called for strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her government's record on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection ahead of the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and applauding as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the authorities' representative told press agencies.

The student-led uprising last year began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews during the current year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

She alerted last month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the ballot.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her return but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disappointed," he continued.

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

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her ex-interior 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 country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed press agencies. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."

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

"We work with numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.