The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity stemming from her crackdown on protests led by students which caused her forced departure.
The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the unrest in the previous year.
Hasina was tried without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.
Legal authorities charged her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".
This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded severe punishments.
Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.
"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."
The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and cheering as the verdict was read.
The city has seen a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.
A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the authorities' representative told news organizations.
The youth-driven revolt in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.
United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "human rights atrocities".
The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.
Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by investigative sources in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.
Before the decision, relatives of those killed during the protests informed media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.
Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".
Lucky Akther, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".
"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."
Following her removal, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.
However, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.
She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.
The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but until now India has shown no willingness to comply.
Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".
"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; that's why I am disheartened," he continued.
The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.
The former leader faced trial together with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.
Even though the verdict offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.
"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has apologised or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."
She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."
The advocate continued that the punishment was not closure for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.
"We assist several people who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."
An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, 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 could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he stated.
Elara is a seasoned gaming journalist with a passion for slot mechanics and player strategies.
