🔗 Share this article

Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for atrocities stemming from her severe measures on youth demonstrations which led to her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the disturbances last year.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind multiple fatalities 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 long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection prior to the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and cheering as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a sudden increase in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 began with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by investigative sources earlier this year indicated she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests stated to news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

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

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disappointed," he continued.

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has apologised or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this country."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not closure for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

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