🔗 Share this article

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for human rights violations stemming from her harsh response on protests led by students which caused her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the unrest last year.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had demanded strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, the former leader stated the execution sentence 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 individual freedoms.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

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

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the authorities' representative informed news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with requests to remove government job quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews during the current year implied she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, relatives of those killed during the protests told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

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 kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, 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 banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the vote.

This decision presents a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; which is why I am disheartened," he added.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this country."

The activist added that the punishment was not closure for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with the former leader and the previous administration," he expressed.