Sheikh Hasina, the ousted Prime Minister of Bangladesh, has been sentenced to death after being found guilty of crimes against humanity for the violent suppression of student protests last year that led to the collapse of her government.
A panel of three judges from the International Crimes Tribunal, Bangladesh’s domestic war crimes court, delivered their verdict Monday, ruling that Hasina was responsible for inciting hundreds of extrajudicial killings carried out by law enforcement.
The courtroom, where some victims’ families were present, burst into applause as the judges delivered their sentence.
“Sheikh Hasina committed crimes against humanity by her incitement, order and failure to take punitive measures,” one of the judge said as he delivered her verdict.
It was “crystal clear” that she “expressed her incitement to the activists of her party… and furthermore, she expressed that she ordered to kill and eliminate the protesting students,” the judges said.
What began as peaceful student demonstrations over civil service job quotas last year transformed into a nationwide push for Hasina’s resignation. The turning point was a government crackdown that may have killed up to 1,400 people, according to the UN human rights office. Up to 25,000 were also injured, the court heard.
Hasina faced five charges primarily related to inciting the murder of the protestors, ordering protestors be hanged, and ordering the use of lethal weapons, drones and helicopters to suppress the unrest. She denies the charges.
The former leader ruled the South Asian nation with an iron-fist from 2009 until her ouster in 2024 and it’s feared Monday’s verdict could set off a wave of political chaos ahead of national elections expected in February next year.
Hasina has been living in self-imposed exile in India’s capital New Delhi since August last year, after the student protesters forced her and her Awami League political party out of power.
She was not present at the court in Dhaka and the trial was criticized by her lawyers, who last week submitted an appeal to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions over “serious concerns about the lack of fair trial rights and due process.”
The interim Bangladeshi government has formally requested her extradition but New Delhi has so far remained silent on the request.
Violence erupted in capital Dhaka ahead of the verdict, with several Molotov cocktails exploding after being thrown by people on bikes on Sunday, police said.
Security was tightened, with armored vehicles and officers with riot shields placed around the courthouse, and police, border guard and rapid action teams deployed near key government buildings.
Hasina’s son on Sunday told Reuters that supporters of her party would block next year’s elections if a ban on her party was not lifted, warning that protests could become violent.
“We will not allow elections without the Awami League to go ahead,” he said. “Our protests are going to get stronger and stronger, and we will do whatever it takes. Unless the international community does something, eventually there’s probably going to be violence in Bangladesh before these elections … there’s going to be confrontations.”
Hasina’s political journey is a story of tragedy, exile and power, inextricably linked to the history of her home country itself. Under her stewardship, Bangladesh was ushered into an era of significant economic development albeit alongside accusations of corruption, democratic backsliding, authoritarianism and human rights abuses.
The eldest daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, founding father of Bangladesh, she was thrust into politics early in life as she witnessed the struggle for Bengali autonomy from Pakistan.
Following a 1975 military coup in which her father, mother, and three brothers were assassinated, Hasina and her sister were forced into exile. She returned to Bangladesh in 1981 to lead her father’s Awami League, and after years of political opposition, first became Prime Minister when the party won the 1996 election.
She served for one term and later returning to power in 2008, ruling Bangladesh with her Awami League until last year.
Bangladesh had seen strong economic growth under Hasina, but human rights organizations warned that she and her government were headed toward a one-party system. Critics expressed concerns over increased reports of political violence, voter intimidation, and harassment of the media and opposition figures.
During her time in power, rights groups say the government used its cyber security law to crack down on freedom of expression online, arresting journalists, artists and activists, with reported cases of arbitrary detention and torture.
But Hasina had managed to weather many previous protests against her rule that erupted particularly during elections.
That changed last year with the successful Gen Z led revolution toppled her authority.
Many of her family members, along with prominent party leaders and former ministers from her administration, are also residing outside of Bangladesh.
Supporters of Hasina dismiss the legal proceedings as politically motivated and designed to remove her from the political arena. The Awami League party has been banned from political activities while the trials against Hasina and party leaders continues.
Conversely, the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, asserts that these trials are an essential step toward restoring accountability and rebuilding public trust in the nation’s democratic institutions.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
