Bangladesh's Former Leader Sheikh Hasina Given to Capital Punishment

Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for human rights violations over her harsh response on student-led protests which led to her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people died during the unrest during 2024.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and injured had requested strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

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

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security prior to the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official Jisanul Haque stated to media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest told press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

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

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

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

However, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her return but until now India has expressed no readiness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; that's why I am disappointed," he added.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital informed press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."

The activist added that the penalty was not resolution for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We assist several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation 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 "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he said.