Bangladesh's Deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sentenced to Death Penalty

Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for human rights violations due to her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her forced departure.

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

The trial proceeded without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had demanded strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection before the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a recent spike in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to news organizations.

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 approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by investigative sources in previous months indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those who died in the demonstrations informed news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose sibling was killed 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 "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

After her departure, an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

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

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her return but so far India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disappointed," he stated further.

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this country."

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

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Hasina and the old leadership," he said.