🔗 Share this article

The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for atrocities over her crackdown on youth demonstrations which resulted in her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the unrest during 2024.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

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

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The protest movement led by students last year started with demands to abolish government job quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews earlier this year indicated she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those killed during the protests informed press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

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

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

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

This decision presents a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but until now India has expressed no readiness to agree.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; that's why I am disappointed," he stated further.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

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

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has apologised or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this nation."

The activist added that the penalty was not resolution for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.