🔗 Share this article

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations due to her crackdown on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had requested tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was content of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security ahead of the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the authorities' representative told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader verified by media examinations earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those who died in the demonstrations told news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused 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 "implemented before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration led by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

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; which is why I am disappointed," he continued.

Recently, 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.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital informed news organizations. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this country."

The activist added that the penalty was not closure for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.