Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh sentenced to death while in exile

Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister, has been found guilty and sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal that took place on Monday, November 17.

She was charged with incitement, issuing kill orders, and failing to prevent atrocities during last year’s student protests, which left an estimated 1,400 people dead.

According to The Guardian, Hasina ordered the use of “drones, helicopters and lethal weapons against civilians” who were demonstrating against a quota system that reserved a third of civil service jobs for children and relatives of veterans from Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war.

It was also reported that she ordered demonstrators to be hanged.

Hasina, who ruled for 15 years, pleaded not guilty and described the ruling as “biased and politically motivated”.

The verdict has now placed diplomatic pressure on India, where Hasina has been living in exile since she was ousted during the student protests last year.

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As the decision became public, crowds gathered outside the Dhaka tribunal, celebrating the court’s announcement.

Human rights groups—including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International—have warned that the trial did not fully meet international fair-trial standards, especially given that Hasina was tried in absentia.

The sentencing has also stirred deep anger among families of protest victims, some of whom demanded that it be carried out publicly as a symbol of justice; “We want justice for my father ... we want justice for every single dead person,” said Sharmeen, a protest victim’s daughter.

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The uprising in Bangladesh mirrors other youth-led movements across South Asia.

Earlier this year, Nepal’s Gen Z mobilised against corruption, unemployment, and political nepotism—issues similar to those behind Bangladesh’s protests.

In Nepal’s case, the youth then held a symbolic election on Discord, selecting an interim Prime Minister as a result of their frustration with traditional politics.

Daniela Solano is a freelance writer for Mixmag Asia, follow her on Instagram here.

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