🔗 Share this article Bangladesh's Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed Sentenced to Death Penalty The former leader was convicted by a designated judicial body. The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for atrocities due to her severe measures on youth demonstrations which led to her removal from power. Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the unrest last year. The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024. Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics". Protesters battled the law enforcement during the demonstrations in 2024 in Bangladesh's main city. The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded tough penalties. Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was proud of her administration's performance on individual freedoms. "I do not fear to face my accusers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially." The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and cheering as the verdict was read. Dhaka experienced a notable rise in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict. One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque stated to media outlets. The youth-driven revolt during 2024 started with requests to remove government job quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign. United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "human rights atrocities". The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse. Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by investigative sources earlier this year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial. Ahead of the verdict, family members of those who died in the demonstrations informed news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties. A family representative, whose brother was shot dead 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 partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election". "Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds." Following her removal, an temporary leadership led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026. However, the her former political organization, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May. The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the election. The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply. Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different". "I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disappointed," he continued. The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT. Opposition activists stormed her official home in the capital in last year. Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head. Although the punishment grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits. "The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has apologised or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens." The activist stated "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this country." The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not finality for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed. "We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her." An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again. This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.