🔗 Share this article

Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity over her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom died during the disturbances in the previous year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and cheering as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson informed press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt last year commenced through requests to remove state employment quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader verified by media examinations during the current year implied she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest told news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

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

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

After her departure, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is set for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned last month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the ballot.

This decision presents a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her return but until now India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; for that reason I am sad," he stated further.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to news organizations. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not resolution for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We assist several people who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

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