🔗 Share this article

The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for human rights violations due to her severe measures on youth demonstrations which caused her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people died during the unrest last year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative Jisanul Haque told press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt last year started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of further participants, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those killed during the protests informed media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the vote.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

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

Last week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

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

Although the punishment grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this country."

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

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he expressed.