Bangladesh's Ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed Given to Death

The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity due to her severe measures on student-led protests which led to her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the disturbances during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her government's record on human rights.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards before the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque told press agencies.

The protest movement led by students last year started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources in previous months indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest told 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 "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

After her departure, an temporary leadership under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is set for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the election.

This decision presents a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but until now India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disappointed," he stated further.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not finality for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

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

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.