A special tribunal in Dhaka convicted Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of crimes against humanity and sentenced her to death on Monday, marking a historic moment in the nation's turbulent political landscape.
The verdict relates to her role in ordering a violent crackdown on student-led protests in 2024, during which the United Nations estimates up to 1,400 people died, most from gunfire by security forces.
Hasina was tried in absentia as she has been living in exile in India since being forced from power in August 2024.
The former leader immediately rejected the court's decision, calling it biased and politically motivated in a five-page statement released after the verdict.
She maintained that she never issued orders to fire on unarmed civilians, though she acknowledged the situation spiraled out of control.
What charges led to the death penalty verdict
The tribunal found Hasina guilty of multiple crimes against humanity, including murder, attempted murder, torture, and ordering the use of deadly weapons against peaceful demonstrators.
Prosecutors presented evidence that she personally directed security forces to suppress the protests with lethal force, resulting in hundreds of deaths across Bangladesh.
The charges also extended to her former interior minister, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and ex police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, who were co-accused in the case.
Only Al Mamun appeared in court for the sentencing, having pleaded guilty in July and provided testimony as a state witness.
The tribunal detailed the scale of violence in police actions, with mobile phone footage shared on social media showing security forces firing directly at protesters.
The court concluded that Hasina failed to prevent atrocities and actively enabled the brutal suppression of dissent, warranting the ultimate punishment under Bangladeshi law.
Did you know?
Sheikh Hasina previously lived in exile in India for six years after her father, Bangladesh's first President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was assassinated in a 1975 military coup. She lived under an assumed identity in Delhi before returning to Bangladesh to enter politics.
How did the 2024 protests turn deadly?
The mass uprising began as student demonstrations against a controversial quota system that reserved 30 percent of government jobs for descendants of 1971 war veterans.
Young Bangladeshis viewed this policy as blatant cronyism, as these positions often went to supporters of Hasina's Awami League party rather than being awarded on merit.
With unemployment rates soaring among graduates, the quota system became a flashpoint for years of bottled-up anger over repression and stifling of political dissent.
What started as peaceful protests quickly escalated when security forces responded with brutal violence.
Eyewitness accounts and video evidence documented police and military personnel firing live ammunition into crowds of unarmed students and civilians.
The crackdown killed hundreds, including children, and left thousands injured or permanently disabled.
Human rights activist Shireen Huq, who works with victims who became amputees, noted that neither Hasina nor the Awami League has apologized or shown remorse for the killings, deepening public anger.
Why India faces a diplomatic dilemma over extradition
The verdict places significant pressure on India to extradite Hasina, but New Delhi has shown no willingness to comply with Dhaka's formal request.
India granted Hasina refuge when her military aircraft landed at Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad on August 5, 2024, marking her second asylum in the country.
Decades earlier, after her father's 1975 assassination, she lived in Delhi for nearly six years under former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's protection, forging strong political ties with Indian leaders.
India's reluctance stems from complex diplomatic calculations and historical relationships between the two nations.
Hasina maintained warm relations with Indian leadership throughout her tenure, particularly with officials who remember sheltering her family during their darkest hour.
Extraditing a former ally who faces execution would damage India's reputation as a reliable partner and could destabilize regional dynamics.
Bangladesh's interim government under Muhammad Yunus recognizes this reality, understanding that political negotiations rather than legal demands will likely determine Hasina's fate.
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What happens if Hasina remains in exile
Bangladesh's attorney general confirmed that Hasina's death sentence became effective from the day of her arrest, creating a legal limbo as she remains beyond the court's physical reach.
Her state-appointed lawyer, Mohammad Amir Hossain, expressed sadness at the verdict and noted he cannot file an appeal because his client is absent.
The practical enforcement of the sentence depends entirely on whether Hasina ever returns to Bangladeshi soil or gets extradited from India.
Meanwhile, security has been dramatically increased across Bangladesh amid fears of backlash from Hasina's supporters and celebrations from her critics.
Protests erupted in Dhaka as the verdict was announced, with crowds attempting to march on Dhanmondi 32, the former residence of Hasina's father.
Police deployed stun grenades and soldiers to disperse demonstrators and protect properties associated with her family.
The Awami League party faces an existential crisis, with many Bangladeshis viewing the death sentence as the interim government's strategy to nullify the party as a political force.
Can Bangladesh move forward after this verdict?
The tribunal's decision represents a pivotal moment that could set the direction for Bangladesh for years to come. Families of the hundreds killed and injured during the crackdown have demanded justice, and Monday's verdict offers them a symbolic, if not practical, form of accountability.
Human rights activist Shireen Huq emphasized that victims and their families will never forgive Hasina, and the harsh punishment reflects the depth of national trauma from the 2024 violence.
However, true reconciliation requires more than courtroom verdicts. The interim government has reduced the quota system to just 5 percent and stabilized the economy through International Monetary Fund loans and increased foreign reserves.
Yet Bangladesh remains fragile, with continued political instability threatening the foreign investment needed for long-term recovery.
As one of the world's largest clothing producers, the nation must demonstrate security and governance credibility to international partners.
Whether this death sentence brings closure or deepens divisions will determine if Bangladesh can heal from its bloodiest chapter in decades and build a more accountable political system for future generations.
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