🔗 Share this article

The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations over her crackdown on youth demonstrations which caused her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the turmoil in the previous year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for multiple fatalities 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 unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had requested tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection before the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official Jisanul Haque told media outlets.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by investigative sources earlier this year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those killed during the protests told media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer 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 disheartened," he stated further.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her former home minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

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

The advocate continued that the penalty was not finality for the relatives of those killed and injured.

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

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he expressed.