Bangladesh's Ousted Leader Sheikh Hasina Sentenced to Capital Punishment

Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for atrocities stemming from her harsh response on youth demonstrations which caused her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom were killed during the turmoil last year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had called for tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection before the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the authorities' representative informed press agencies.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 started with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by media examinations earlier this year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, family members of those who died in the demonstrations informed press outlets 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 her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

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

After her departure, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned last month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; which is why I am sad," he continued.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Although the punishment offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

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

The advocate continued that the sentence was not closure for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

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