The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for atrocities due to her crackdown on student-led protests which caused her removal from power.
The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil during 2024.
The trial proceeded while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.
Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".
The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had called for strict sentences.
Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, she expressed the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her administration's performance on civil liberties.
"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."
The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and cheering as the verdict was read.
The city has seen a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.
At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the police spokesperson told media outlets.
The protest movement led by students during 2024 started with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.
International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "violations of human dignity".
The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.
Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations in previous months indicated she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.
Prior to the ruling, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.
A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".
Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".
"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."
Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is planned for February 2026.
However, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.
Hasina warned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the ballot.
The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her return but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.
The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".
"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disappointed," he stated further.
Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.
The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.
Even though the verdict grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.
"The fury directed at the former leader and the her political party has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."
The activist stated "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this state."
The activist added that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.
"We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."
An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.
This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from the former leader and the old leadership," he stated.
News
News