Bangladesh's Deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed Sentenced to Death Penalty

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for atrocities stemming from her crackdown on youth demonstrations which resulted in her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the unrest in the previous year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and injured had demanded strict sentences.

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

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

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security ahead of the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year began with demands to abolish government job quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews in previous months suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests told media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died 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 obtain solace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the election.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her return but so far India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; which is why I am sad," he continued.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed news organizations. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not closure for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.