🔗 Share this article

Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity stemming from her crackdown on protests led by students which caused her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the disturbances during 2024.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her government's record on human rights.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official Jisanul Haque stated to media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by media examinations in previous months suggested she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests informed press outlets 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 abused their power".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

After her departure, an temporary leadership under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

She alerted last month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the ballot.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her repatriation but until now India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am sad," he added.

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

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

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not resolution for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

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

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.