The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity due to her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her removal from power.
Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the disturbances in the previous year.
Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.
Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".
The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had requested strict sentences.
Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her government's record on human rights.
"I do not fear to face my accusers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."
The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards before the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.
Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.
One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative Jisanul Haque stated to press agencies.
The youth-driven revolt during 2024 started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.
International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "crimes against humanity".
The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and abuse.
Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by investigative sources in previous months implied she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.
Ahead of the verdict, kin of those who died in the demonstrations informed news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.
Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".
Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".
"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."
After her departure, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.
Nevertheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.
The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the election.
The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.
Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".
"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disappointed," he stated further.
Last week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.
Hasina was tried together with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.
Even though the verdict offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.
"The resentment towards Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed news organizations. "The leader and her faction has apologised or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."
She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this nation."
The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not resolution for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.
"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."
David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.
This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he expressed.
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