🔗 Share this article

The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for human rights violations over her severe measures on protests led by students which resulted in her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people died during the unrest last year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted all charges, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Families of those killed and harmed had demanded strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation 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 tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards ahead of the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and applauding as the verdict was read.

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

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year began with requests to remove state employment quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of further participants, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations during the current year suggested she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

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

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

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

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

After her departure, an interim government under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; which is why I am sad," he stated further.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Although the punishment offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to news organizations. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this nation."

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

"We work with numerous persons 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 "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

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