Hasina, who was ousted from power last year following nationwide student-led protests, was found guilty of ordering a violent and systematic crackdown on demonstrators demanding political reforms and accountability.

According to UN estimates, the 2024 unrest claimed up to 1,400 lives, most of them students who were killed by gunfire from security forces deployed under Hasina’s command. The tribunal said she authorized the use of live ammunition, drones, and helicopter support to suppress the movement actions judges ruled amounted to crimes against humanity.

The verdict marks an unprecedented moment in Bangladesh’s political history, targeting a leader who had dominated the country’s politics for more than a decade. Her conviction follows months of investigations launched soon after her government collapsed under the pressure of mass protests.

Reactions remain sharply divided:

• Human rights groups welcomed the ruling as a long-overdue step toward justice for victims of state violence.
• Her supporters, however, denounced the verdict as politically motivated and warned that the decision could fuel further instability in an already fragile nation.

As Bangladesh braces for the aftermath of this landmark judgment, the world now watches to see whether this ruling will bring accountability or trigger new waves of unrest.