Opinion Hasina death sentence is a travesty of justice

The International Crimes Tribunal’s (ICT) verdict, sentencing former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina to death, is blatantly prejudiced. On Monday, a three-judge bench awarded Hasina the maximum sentence on two counts linked to the killing of unarmed protesters during the anti-quota agitation in the country last year. Former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal received the same punishment, while Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, former inspector-general of police in the Hasina government, was spared after he turned witness for the prosecution. The verdict concludes a process that has appeared vindictive from day one. ICTs have historically included international judges and, in some cases, even international prosecutors. But a tribunal composed entirely of Bangladeshi judges, widely seen as partisan, meant that the odds were always stacked against Hasina. From the appointment of a judge, affiliated with the Bangladesh National Party, which has welcomed the verdict, to the absence of a proper defence to represent Hasina, the three-month-long proceedings were suffused with the Muhammad Yunus regime’s hostility towards the ousted prime minister. The state-appointed defence lawyer, reportedly, sought no adjournments and called no witnesses. The caretaker government, which has called the decision “historic”, has only demeaned itself with this travesty of justice – it has invited charges of being a tin-pot regime.

There is no denying that Sheikh Hasina, who remains in an undisclosed location in India, must own up to her heavy-handed response to the uprising in July last year. Instead of attempting to strengthen the social fabric and addressing the underlying causes behind the tension, she blamed “foreign mercenaries” and “radical elements” for hijacking the protests. The divides have widened as a result of the caretaker regime’s revanchist approach — it has overreached its mandate by clamping down on Hasina’s party, the Awami League. What legitimacy can the elections, scheduled for February 2026, possibly have with the party that spearheaded Bangladesh’s struggle for independence banned and its long-time leader condemned to be hanged?

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The rise of Islamist politics since Hasina’s ouster — posing a threat to Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh — has, by all accounts, been fuelled largely by discontent over unemployment, corruption and a lack of leadership. The frequent instances of violence in several parts of the country speak of the Yunus regime’s diminishing authority. Monday’s verdict has eroded its credibility even more and pushed back further the democratic process in Bangladesh. The death sentence for Hasina is also a diplomatic test for India. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition — on Monday and before — but New Delhi has so far shown no inclination to comply. India will need to navigate this moment deftly, keeping in mind regional security considerations.