Former Bangladesh Leader Sheikh Hasina Sentenced To Death

A domestic tribunal has ordered the execution of Bangladesh’s ex-prime minister after ruling that she committed crimes against humanity during a sweeping clampdown on student demonstrations that ultimately led to her downfall.

The panel concluded that Hasina permitted deadly force to be unleashed on demonstrators, resulting in the deaths of 1,400 people during last year’s turmoil.

Proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal, as she has been living in exile in India since her removal from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors claimed she orchestrated large-scale killings during the uprising, while families of victims demanded harsh punishment. Hasina rejected the accusations, calling the trial “biased and politically motivated”.

The protracted hearings in the country’s war crimes court had long signaled that a conviction was imminent.

Still, the verdict represents a turning point for the nation and reinforces the grievances of those who rose up against years of political repression under her leadership.

Hasina held power for a decade and a half, a period that saw economic development but also escalating suppression of dissent through arrests, disappearances, and unlawful killings.

The protests eventually drove her into exile, paving the way for an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

Responding to the judgment on Monday in a detailed written statement, Hasina argued that the death sentence was being used by the temporary authorities as a tool for “nullifying [her party] the Awami League as a political force” and insisted she remained proud of her administration’s human-rights record.

“I am not afraid to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly.”

The movement that brought her government down began with objections to recruitment quotas but rapidly expanded into a nationwide revolt.

A February assessment by UN investigators stated that the estimated 1,400 deaths might constitute “crimes against humanity”.

Their findings included evidence of close-range shootings, deliberate disabling of protesters, and widespread torture and arbitrary detention.

Earlier this year, leaked audio attributed to Hasina and verified by investigators appeared to show that she authorized the deployment of “lethal weapons” in July 2024; the recording was presented during the trial.

Hours before the ruling, the capital was placed under heightened security as opponents of the former leader gathered to celebrate the impending judgement.

The city has been rattled by renewed violence, including dozens of explosions and multiple arson attacks on buses in the days leading up to the decision.

One blast occurred in the capital on Monday morning, though police said there were no injuries.

Relatives of those killed during the demonstrations had previously said they wanted severe punishment for the former prime minister.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was fatally shot in July 2024, said he wanted “exemplary punishment” for Hasina and others who have “committed acts of vengeance and abused their power”.

Lucky Akther, who lost her husband near the capital in August 2024, insisted she wanted Hasina’s sentencing to be “carried out before the election”.

“Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts.”

The interim administration headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has remained in place since Hasina’s removal, with a national election slated for February 2026.

However, in May, authorities barred Hasina’s political organization from participating in the country’s political process.

Hasina warned last month that preventing her party’s candidates from contesting the coming election would trigger a mass refusal by supporters to take part in the vote.

The ruling now places pressure on both Bangladesh and India, as Dhaka has requested her extradition — a move New Delhi has not acted upon.

Her government-assigned attorney, Mohammad Amir Hossain, said he was “sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different”.

“I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; that’s why I am sad,” he added.

Her legal team said last week that they had submitted an urgent petition to the UN highlighting major concerns about fairness and due process at the tribunal.

Hasina faced trial alongside her former interior minister and ex-police chief.

Although the ruling gives some families a sense of justice, it is unlikely to ease the country’s deep political divides.

“The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided,” said Shireen Huq, a prominent rights advocate based in Dhaka. “Neither she nor the party has apologised or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people.”

She added, “It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this country.”

Ms Huq noted that many survivors feel the punishment does not bring full closure.

“We work with several people who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her.”

David Bergman, a journalist who has observed Bangladesh’s politics for decades, said the “very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult” for the Awami League to return as a mainstream political force.

He added that this might shift only if “there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership”.