Bangladesh's Ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sentenced to Death

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on youth demonstrations which led to her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the disturbances in the previous year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security ahead of the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a notable rise 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, local police official the police spokesperson informed media outlets.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with requests to remove government job quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews in previous months indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests stated to 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 the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her return but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

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

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We work with several people who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he said.