A Dhaka court has issued a death sentence in absentia against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, convicting her of crimes against humanity for her role in a lethal state crackdown on a widespread protest movement last year.
A three-judge panel found the ousted leader guilty on multiple counts, including issuing orders that led to killings and failing to prevent atrocities. The presiding justice stated that the former prime minister authorized the use of military-grade weaponry, including drones and helicopters, against civilian populations.
The defendant, who has been residing abroad under official protection, was tried without being present. She has denounced the proceedings as a politically driven sham and maintains she was never afforded a genuine opportunity to mount a defense, asserting that her actions were taken to restore public order.
The verdict was delivered amid heightened security in the capital, which has seen a recent surge in political violence. Authorities imposed a strict shoot-on-sight policy for individuals engaged in acts of sabotage following a series of explosions in the city.
The protests that ultimately ended Hasina’s long tenure began as student demonstrations but swelled into a national revolt against her government, which faced longstanding accusations of corruption and human rights abuses. International organizations estimate the death toll from the government’s suppression of the unrest reached into the hundreds.
The prosecution built its case on evidence it said directly linked instructions from the highest levels of government to deadly operations on the ground. A former senior official, who pleaded guilty and testified against Hasina, received a reduced sentence for his cooperation.
For families of those killed, the court’s decision brought a measure of solace. One father, who lost his son during the unrest, described the death sentence as the only fitting outcome for the loss of his child, whom he called a victim, not an enemy of the state.
The interim administration, which promised this prosecution, has defended the tribunal’s transparency. The country is now preparing for its first post-Hasina election, with her former political party barred from participation and its leadership largely imprisoned or in exile. The party has vowed to resist the verdict and disrupt the upcoming electoral process.
