🔗 Share this article

Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her harsh response on student-led protests which led to her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the turmoil during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had requested severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her government's record on human rights.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and applauding as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a notable rise in turmoil, 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, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson informed press agencies.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 began with requests to remove government job quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by external reviews in previous months indicated she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those who died in the demonstrations informed media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

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

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted last month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the vote.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her return but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; which is why I am sad," he stated further.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her former home minister and security forces head.

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

"The fury directed at Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The activist added that the sentence was not closure for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Hasina and the old leadership," he said.