Bangladesh's Ousted Leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed Sentenced to Death

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity due to her crackdown on youth demonstrations which resulted in her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the disturbances last year.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security prior to the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and cheering as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque told media outlets.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with requests to remove government job quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews in previous months implied she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

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

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

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

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

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

However, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the ballot.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disappointed," he continued.

Last week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

While the sentence offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this country."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not finality for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

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