🔗 Share this article

The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations over her crackdown on student-led protests which led to her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and injured had demanded strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her government's record on human rights.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection before the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt last year commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by media examinations in previous months indicated she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, family members of those killed during the protests informed press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

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

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

After her departure, an temporary leadership headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the vote.

This decision presents a international dilemma for both nations. Authorities have sought her repatriation but until now India has shown no willingness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disheartened," he stated further.

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

The former leader faced trial together with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We assist several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.