Sheikh Hasina sentenced to death over student protests

The former prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity for his role in suppressing student-led protests that led to his ouster.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, in which 1,400 people died in last year’s riots.

Hasina has been living in exile in India since she was forced to step down in July 2024 and is being tried in absentia by the International Crime Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh.

Prosecutors accuse her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina denies all charges and calls the trial “biased and politically motivated.”

The verdict marks a critical moment for Bangladesh as protests stoke anger over years of repression. Families of the dead and injured called for severe punishment.

Hasina responded to the verdict in a five-page statement, saying the death penalty was the interim government’s way of “eliminating (her party) Awami League as a political force” and that she was proud of the government’s record on human rights.

“I have no fear of facing my accusers in a proper court where the evidence can be fairly weighed and tested.”

Security was heavy in Dhaka, the capital where the court will be held, ahead of Monday’s verdict, with many of Hasina’s critics rallying and cheering as the verdict was read out.

The city has seen a recent surge in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploding and bus fires occurring in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb blast occurred in Dhaka on Monday morning, causing no casualties, local police official Jisanul Haque told the BBC.

Last year’s student-led uprising initially called for the abolition of government job quotas, but later evolved into a broader anti-government movement.

U.N. human rights investigators said in a February report that the deaths of about 1,400 people may amount to “crimes against humanity.”

The report documented instances of some protesters being shot at point-blank range, others systematically mutilated, arbitrary arrests and tortured.

Earlier this year, BBC Eye confirmed that a recording of Hasina’s phone call was leaked, indicating that she had authorized the use of “lethal weapons” in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those killed during the protests told the BBC they wanted Hasina to be severely punished.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted “severe punishment” for Hasina and others who “carried out acts of revenge and abused their power.”

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she hoped Hasina’s sentence would be “implemented before the elections.”

“Only in this way can the families of those killed[during the protests]find peace of mind.”

After Hasina stepped down, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus came to power. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for February 2026.

However, Hasina’s party Awami League was banned by Bangladesh’s interim government in May.

Hasina warned last month that millions would boycott the polls if the party’s candidates were barred from running in the upcoming elections.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge to India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition, but India has so far shown no willingness to comply.

Hasina’s state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hussain said he was “sad (and wished) the verdict had been different”.

“I can’t even appeal because my client is absent; that’s why I feel sad,” he added.

Last week, Hasina’s lawyers said they had made an urgent appeal to the United Nations, raising serious fair trial and due process issues.

Hasina is on trial alongside her former interior minister and police chief.

While the verdict provides some closure for the families of those killed in the protests, it may do little to ease the country’s political divisions.

“The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided,” Shireen Huq, a human rights activist in Dhaka, told the BBC. “Neither she nor the party has apologized or shown any remorse for the killing of hundreds of people.”

“This makes it very difficult for the party to be accepted by the majority of people in this country,” she said.

Ms Hook added that punishment was not meant for the families of the dead and injured.

“We worked with several people who had lost limbs forever and now have them amputated due to repression. They could never forgive her.”

“The nature of the conviction may make it more difficult for the Awami League to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again,” said journalist and long-time Bangladesh observer David Bergman.

He said that could change if “some form of apology is made and some distance is distanced from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership.”