🔗 Share this article

The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity due to her harsh response on student-led protests which resulted in her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the unrest during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards ahead of the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a recent spike in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official Jisanul Haque stated to press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews earlier this year implied she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, family members of those who died in the demonstrations stated to media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

Following her removal, an interim government headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the election.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has shown no willingness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disheartened," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her former home minister and security forces head.

While the sentence offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this nation."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not closure for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We assist multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.