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

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for human rights violations due to her severe measures on protests led by students which resulted in her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the disturbances last year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and injured had demanded severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and applauding as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque stated to news organizations.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations told media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

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

Following her removal, an caretaker administration under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the vote.

This decision presents a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; that's why I am disappointed," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told news organizations. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this country."

The activist added that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We assist multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.