🔗 Share this article

The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for atrocities over her severe measures on protests led by students which caused her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the turmoil during 2024.

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

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

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 content of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the authorities' representative stated to news organizations.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with demands to abolish government job quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their souls."

After her departure, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the vote.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her return but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

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

Recently, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this country."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from the former leader and the old leadership," he said.