Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sentenced To Death: What Does This Mean For Democracy In Bangladesh?

The International Crime Tribunal 1 found Sheikh Hasina guilty of crimes against humanity on 17th November 2025. The panel sentenced Sheikh Hasina to death in her absentia as she lives now in exile in India.  

Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder handed down the verdict.. The court stated that the evidence was “crystal clear.”  The court concluded that Hasina had ordered a coercive armed crackdown on the protesting students. 

Moreover, the trial began shortly after the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh left the nation. This was one of the most sensitive issues in Bangladesh, as the Prime Minister remains in exile. 

This has created immense agitation among supporters of the Awami League, who remain loyal to Sheikh Hasina. 

The BBC Podcast has uploaded content amid the recent death sentence against the former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina. 

The BBC interviewed Anbarasan Ethirajan, a journalist who has met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

Here is the full overview of what happened in the podcast, including all the information discussed. 

What Was Discussed In The BBC Podcast? What Were The Insights By Anbarasan Ethirajan 

The host of the show asked the guest to take the audience back to the time of the protest. He wondered about Sheikh Hasina’s role in it. 

Anbarasan stated that a student leader was shot dead in the northern part of the country. The protest gained momentum as the death of the person was telecast by multiple live broadcasters, and also the social media broadcasters. 

Thus, this had sparked mass agitation. Ambarasan states that the death of the person led to the widening of the protest.  

Anbarasan Ethirajan stated that the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, decided to call the student protesters anti-nationals.  

She even went so far as to refer to the situation before 1971. This sparked a major outbreak among Bangladesh’s citizens. 

Anbarsan reported that the civil society of Bangladesh then took to the streets while protesting against all the people. Prior to this, only the student protestors were protesting.  

The youth, students from the Madrasas, people, women, and others all took to the streets to protest the Prime Minister’s remarks, calling the protesters anti-nationals. 

1. How Did The Violence Escalate In Bangladesh? 

Anbarasan Ethirajan states how the protest turned violent in Bangladesh. Moreover, a large chunk of the protesters took to the streets.  

The former Prime Minister of Bangladesh’s comments sparked widespread protests among Bangladesh’s citizens. Thus, the authorities in Bangladesh under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina tried to clamp down on the protesting students. 

Moreover, this escalated the violence. Thus, multiple students were killed in different parts of the country while protesting against the Sheik Hasina government. 

2. Did The Deployment Of The Military And The Paramilitary Make The Situation Even Worse? 

The forceful handling of the protests caused major problems across the country. Moreover, the students were killed in other parts of the country, and also the police men were killed in various places. 

Moreover, the violence then escalated as Sheikh Hasina deployed the paramilitary forces, and she finally deployed the army. Furthermore, the students’ deployment had worsened the situation.  

However, the Prime Minister tried to reach out to the students. However, Anbarasan Ethirajan states, by the time she tried to reach out to the students, it was already too late. 

Dozens of people had already died at that time. Moreover, this was one of the largest Generation Z protests in Bangladesh at the time. The protestors now wanted ther democracy to be restored as they were tired of this repressive rule for the last 17 years. Moreover, they were tired of the 12 years of repressive rule in Bangladesh. 

3. What Does Anbarasan Ethirajan State About The Death Sentence Passed Against The Former Prime Minister Of Bangladesh? 

Anbarasan Ethirajan states that the protests took place in her Absentia as she still lives in India. Sheikh Hasina has accused the court of being a kangaroo court, where there was no chance of her getting justice. 

She has criticised the court for predicting the verdict. Furthermore, Anbarasan Ethirajan states that a Bangladeshi tribunal issued the judgment. Thus, the standards of the court have to be much lower than those in the case of ICC.  

However, Anbarasan Ethirajan states that there was plenty of evidence against the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh.  

The court even hired a lawyer for the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh. However, people still question whether the former Prime Minister was allowed to choose her own lawyer. 

However, Anbarasan Ethirajan states that the death sentence was a cathartic moment for the families of the victims who had lost their loved ones during the protests in Bangladesh. 

He also stated that there was ample evidence in the form of videos available everywhere.  

What Is The Bigjar Take On The Death Sentence Of Sheikh Hasina? 

We at Big Jar have been closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh. Moreover, we think that the people of Bangladesh witnessed several instances of torture and bloodshed on the streets as they were protesting. However, at the same point in time, we can not really consider Bangladesh’s judicial system to be trustworthy at the moment. 

The former Prime Minister of Bangladesh has protested against the procedure of Bangladesh’s Tribunal. Several experts have claimed that the procedure was not fair to the former Prime Minister. 

However, Sheikh Hasina has always had good relations with India. Thus, this further raises the question of whether India will release her or not. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the death Penalty of Sheikh Hasina.