🔗 Share this article

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations over her severe measures on student-led protests which led to her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the disturbances last year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and injured had requested strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her government's record on human rights.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection prior to the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and cheering as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the authorities' representative told news organizations.

The student-led uprising in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews earlier this year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest told news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded 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 husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Following her removal, an interim government under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the election.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her return but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am sad," he stated further.

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

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her ex-interior minister 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 state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted 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 work with numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, 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 even more difficult" for her party to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with the former leader and the previous administration," he said.