Bangladesh's Ousted Leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed Sentenced to Death Penalty

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity stemming from her harsh response on youth demonstrations which resulted in her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom were killed during the unrest during 2024.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted all charges, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and injured had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security before the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official Jisanul Haque stated to press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year commenced through calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews during the current year indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

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 exploited their positions".

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

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, 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 party's candidates were barred from participating in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the vote.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; which is why I am sad," he added.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

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

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital told press agencies. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The activist added that the sentence was not finality for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, 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 the political faction to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.