Bangladesh's Deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Given to Death

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity due to her severe measures on protests led by students which caused her forced departure.

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

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and applauding as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque stated to media outlets.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 commenced through demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader verified by external reviews in previous months suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to 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 Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the election.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am sad," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this nation."

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

"We support several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the previous administration," he said.