🔗 Share this article

The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for atrocities over her harsh response on protests led by students 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 died during the turmoil last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted all charges, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and harmed had called for strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was proud of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards ahead of the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque told news organizations.

The student-led uprising during 2024 began with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by media examinations in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest informed press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" 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 Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

After her departure, an interim government under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the election.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disheartened," he continued.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and judicial process problems 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 not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

The activist added that the punishment was not finality for the families of those killed and injured.

"We work with several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Hasina and the old leadership," he said.