🔗 Share this article

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations over her crackdown on youth demonstrations which resulted in her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the disturbances in the previous year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

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

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Families of those killed and wounded had requested strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to 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 unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising last year commenced through requests to remove state employment quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by media examinations during the current year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those killed during the protests informed news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

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 misused their authority".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

After her departure, an caretaker administration under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her return but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this nation."

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

"We assist multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.