Dhaka: Bangladesh has entered one of the most turbulent phases in its modern political history after a Dhaka court sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for her alleged role in the violent crackdown on last year’s student-led protests. The verdict wide-ranging in its political consequences has hardened divisions, raised security fears, and amplified uncertainty ahead of the February 2026 general elections.
The special tribunal concluded that Hasina directly authorized the security clampdown that escalated into one of the deadliest civil unrest episodes Bangladesh has witnessed in decades. The 2024 student uprising, driven by anger over jobs, corruption, and economic stagnation, resulted in more than a thousand deaths, according to international estimates.
Victims’ families expressed relief and celebrated the ruling, describing it as long-overdue justice. Many parents who lost children in the protests said the verdict offered emotional closure, demanding that authorities carry out the sentence without delay.
Hasina, however, dismissed the ruling as a politically motivated act engineered by a government with no popular mandate. Now in India after fleeing during the peak of the protests, she has repeatedly described the tribunal as illegitimate and accused her opponents of weaponizing the judiciary to erase her party from the political landscape.
The ruling intensifies pressure on the interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who was placed at the helm after mass protests toppled the previous order. With just months left for national elections, Yunus’s government faces the enormous challenge of conducting a free, fair, and credible vote amid widespread mistrust and political fragmentation.
The Awami League, Hasina’s party, remains banned from participating in the upcoming polls due to its alleged role in the 2024 violence. Leaders and supporters of the party insist the ban is unjust and have warned of nationwide agitation if authorities refuse to restore their political rights. Analysts caution that excluding one of the country’s major political forces could severely undermine the credibility of the elections and trigger further unrest.
The death sentence has also strained Bangladesh’s traditionally close relations with India. Dhaka has formally requested Hasina’s extradition, describing New Delhi’s hesitation as “unfriendly” and counterproductive to regional stability. India maintains that its extradition treaty with Bangladesh allows exceptions for politically sensitive cases and insists Dhaka must furnish complete legal documentation.
Diplomats warn that the Hasina case risks becoming a flashpoint that could reshape the strategic balance in South Asia, where India and Bangladesh have long cooperated on trade, security, and counter-terrorism.
Violence and sabotage resurfaced in parts of Dhaka in the days leading up to the verdict, including crude bomb blasts, bus burnings, and multiple arrests. With political temperatures rising, security agencies remain on high alert, fearing that the sentencing may ignite fresh waves of street protests.
Economically, Bangladesh is on fragile ground. The garment-export-driven economy, still recovering from last year’s turmoil and dependent on IMF support, faces renewed risks. Instability threatens investor confidence, global brand relationships, and the broader financial system.
As Bangladesh stands at a crossroads, crucial questions loom: Can the interim government maintain calm long enough to conduct credible elections? Will political reconciliation especially with the Awami League be possible? And how will the diplomatic standoff with India evolve if Hasina remains on Indian soil?
For the country’s 170 million citizens, the weeks ahead promise a tense and transformative chapter one that will shape Bangladesh’s democratic future for years to come.