DHAKA, Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh for more than two decades, has seen a dramatic fall from power that ended her 15-year consecutive authoritarian rule on the South Asian country.
On Monday, a Bangladesh court sentenced the ousted prime minister to death, concluding a months-long trial that found her guilty of ordering a deadly crackdown on last year’s student-led uprising against her government. The court verdict marked the dramatic turn in her long and controversial political career.
The verdict marks the most dramatic turn in the political career of the 78-year-old head of the Awami League, whose long rule shaped Bangladesh’s politics.
Early life and family
Sheikh Hasina was born on 28 September 1947 in Tungipara, then part of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). She is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first president of Bangladesh.
Hasina grew up in a politically active family and studied at the University of Dhaka, where she became involved in student politics.
Her life changed abruptly on 15 August 1975. Her father, mother, and three brothers were assassinated in their home by military officers. Hasina, who was abroad at the time, spent six years in exile. During this period, she was elected leader of the Awami League, the party founded by her father.
Rise to politics and first tenure
Hasina returned to Bangladesh in 1981 and became a strong voice against the then-military rule. She was frequently placed under house arrest.
By the late 1980s, she had emerged as the leader of the opposition and was central in forcing military leader Hussain Mohammad Ershad to step down in 1990.
In 1996, she won the general election and became prime minister for the first time. She completed her five-year term but lost the 2001 election to rival Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Hasina returned to power in 2009 following a sweeping election victory. She then ruled for 15 consecutive years across four terms.
Bangladesh’s economy expanded rapidly during these years. The garment industry boomed. The country reached more than 7 percent GDP growth by 2022.
Disappearances and extrajudicial killings
However, allegations of authoritarian rule grew against Hasina. Critics said she sidelined opponents, suppressed dissent and carried out politically motivated prosecutions.
Human rights groups accused her government of disappearances, extrajudicial killings and the arrest of thousands of opposition activists.
In 2021, the United States imposed sanctions on the elite Rapid Action Battalion, citing human rights abuses since 2009.
Her policies and geopolitical posture were widely seen as closely aligned with India. Analysts say her government tilted towards New Delhi on major political and security issues, while taking a hard stance against Pakistan — a posture that frequently inflamed domestic and regional criticism.
Election boycotts and crackdowns
Hasina’s political dominance grew as the opposition weakened. A court ruling in 2013 barred Jamaat-e-Islami from elections. The BNP boycotted the 2014 polls and alleged election fraud. The Awami League won the election overwhelmingly as no known opposition political party was contesting.
In 2018, the Awami League won another election amid widespread allegations of vote rigging. Khaleda Zia, Hasina’s main rival, was jailed earlier that year and was unable to contest.
The January 2024 election followed the same pattern. The BNP again boycotted, citing mass arrests of more than 20,000 of its supporters since late 2023.
The Awami League captured 222 out of 300 seats, giving Hasina a fourth straight term. Analysts said the country was effectively functioning as a one-party state.
Student-led uprising and collapse of Hasina’s rule
The turning point came in July 2024. Students launched protests against affirmative action quotas that reserved 30 percent of civil service jobs for descendants of 1971 war veterans. The High Court had reinstated the job quotas, prompting widespread anger.
Although the Supreme Court later reduced the quotas, protests grew into a nationwide anti-government movement. Students accused Hasina of favouring party loyalists, eroding democratic freedoms and presiding over unemployment and corruption.
Clashes between protesters, Awami League youth groups and security forces escalated. The government deployed the army, imposed curfews and restricted the Internet. According to the United Nations, up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024.
The unrest peaked on 5 August. Nearly 100 people were killed that day alone. Crowds stormed the prime minister’s residence in Dhaka. Facing mass civil disobedience, Hasina resigned and fled to India by helicopter. She has since remained in New Delhi, according to reports.
Interim government and trial
Following her ouster, Army Chief Gen Waker-uz-Zaman announced that an interim administration would be formed. President Mohammad Shahabuddin ordered the release of opposition leader Khaleda Zia and the detained protesters.
Student leaders called for Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to lead a caretaker government. Yunus, 85, took charge as an interim leader and pledged sweeping reforms, including rebuilding electoral institutions, strengthening judicial independence and restoring a neutral caretaker system.
Hasina was tried in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity, including ordering lethal force against student protesters. Prosecutors said she bore “command responsibility” for mass killings.
Audio recordings, matched by police to verified samples of Hasina’s voice, were played in court. They appeared to show her directing security forces to “use lethal weapons”.
On Monday, the Bangladesh court sentenced her to death.
Hasina already faces other convictions, including a six-month sentence for contempt of court, and several corruption cases involving members of her family.
Sheikh Hasina ruled Bangladesh for more than two decades in total — one term from 1996 to 2001 and four consecutive terms from 2009 to 2024.
