🔗 Share this article

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

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the turmoil last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest informed press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

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

After her departure, an temporary leadership headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

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

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

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for both nations. Authorities have sought her return but to date India has shown no willingness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

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

The previous week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her former home minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the her political party has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed press agencies. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this country."

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

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.