The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations due to her severe measures on youth demonstrations which caused her ousting.
Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom died during the disturbances last year.
Legal proceedings were conducted 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.
Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".
The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded severe punishments.
Answering the judgment in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.
"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."
The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection prior to the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and applauding as the judgment was announced.
The city has seen a sudden increase in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.
A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official Jisanul Haque stated to media outlets.
The student-led uprising during 2024 started with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.
United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "human rights atrocities".
The study recorded the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and torture.
Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by investigative sources earlier this year suggested she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.
Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those killed during the protests informed news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.
Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance 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 "carried out before the election".
"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."
Following her removal, an temporary leadership headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.
However, the Awami League, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.
The former leader cautioned last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the vote.
The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her return but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.
Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".
"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disappointed," he continued.
Last week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.
The former leader faced trial together with her former home minister and security forces head.
Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.
"The anger against the former leader and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."
The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this state."
The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not resolution for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.
"We work with numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."
An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.
This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.
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