🔗 Share this article

The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for atrocities stemming from her harsh response on youth demonstrations which resulted in her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the turmoil in the previous year.

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

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had requested tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, she expressed the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection before the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and cheering as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson informed news organizations.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 started with requests to remove state employment quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by media examinations in previous months implied she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations stated to press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the vote.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; which is why I am sad," he continued.

The previous week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

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 Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told press agencies. "The leader and her faction has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this nation."

The activist added that the penalty was not finality for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We assist numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.