🔗 Share this article

The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity stemming from her harsh response on youth demonstrations which resulted in her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"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 court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative Jisanul Haque informed media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest told media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

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".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

After her departure, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is set for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the election.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disappointed," he added.

Recently, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this nation."

The activist added that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We support multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.