Bangladesh's Ousted Leader Sheikh Hasina Sentenced to Death

The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity stemming from her crackdown on student-led protests which caused her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil in the previous year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent 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 the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had called for strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and celebrating as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the police spokesperson informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with requests to remove state employment quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by investigative sources during the current year indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those killed during the protests told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance 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 families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

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

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

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

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

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

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to press agencies. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this country."

The activist added that the sentence was not resolution for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We assist several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he stated.