Bangladesh's Ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Given to Death Penalty

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for atrocities stemming from her severe measures on protests led by students which caused her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the unrest last year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Families of those killed and harmed had called for strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official Jisanul Haque informed news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt last year started with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of others, 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 "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest told media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

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

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned last month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the election.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; which is why I am disappointed," he stated further.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not closure for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.