Bangladesh's Former Leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed Given to Death

Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity stemming from her severe measures on youth demonstrations which caused her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, Hasina said the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was content of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection ahead of the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with demands to abolish state employment quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews during the current year suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those killed during the protests stated to press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed 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 "executed before the election".

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the vote.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but to date India has shown no willingness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am sad," he added.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We assist numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, 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 "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from the former leader and the previous administration," he stated.