Bangladesh's longest-serving prime minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed began her political career as a pro-democracy icon, but fled mass protests against her rule in August 2024 after 15 years in power.
Since then, Hasina has been in self-imposed exile in India, where she flew after being deposed by the student-led uprising which spiraled into nationwide unrest. On 17 November, a special tribunal in Dhaka sentenced her to death after convicting her of crimes against humanity. It was found that Hasina had ordered a deadly crackdown on protesters between 15 July and 5 August 2024, resulting in the loss of up to 1,400 lives during a period of intense civil discord.
The protests, unprecedented in scale, concluded Hasina's over two-decade-long leadership, which had seen the country achieve significant economic progress under her Awami League party. However, her administration faced severe criticism for brutal crackdowns on dissent, exemplifying a tragic fall from grace for a leader once revered as a champion of democracy. Political repression, extra-judicial killings, and enforced disappearances have marked her later years in power, leading to widespread unrest and her eventual ousting.
Hasina's tenure features complex narratives—while spearheading impressive economic gains, particularly in the garment industry, her approach towards dissent and political rivalry has invited international condemnation, setting her apart from her earlier image as a pro-democracy figure. Following her flight, she termed the tribunal that convicted her as a “kangaroo court” and remains adamant about her innocence, stating that charges against her are politically motivated.
As Bangladesh continues to grapple with the consequences of her rule, the intertwined legacies of leadership and authoritarianism serve as a crucial reflection on governance in the region.
Since then, Hasina has been in self-imposed exile in India, where she flew after being deposed by the student-led uprising which spiraled into nationwide unrest. On 17 November, a special tribunal in Dhaka sentenced her to death after convicting her of crimes against humanity. It was found that Hasina had ordered a deadly crackdown on protesters between 15 July and 5 August 2024, resulting in the loss of up to 1,400 lives during a period of intense civil discord.
The protests, unprecedented in scale, concluded Hasina's over two-decade-long leadership, which had seen the country achieve significant economic progress under her Awami League party. However, her administration faced severe criticism for brutal crackdowns on dissent, exemplifying a tragic fall from grace for a leader once revered as a champion of democracy. Political repression, extra-judicial killings, and enforced disappearances have marked her later years in power, leading to widespread unrest and her eventual ousting.
Hasina's tenure features complex narratives—while spearheading impressive economic gains, particularly in the garment industry, her approach towards dissent and political rivalry has invited international condemnation, setting her apart from her earlier image as a pro-democracy figure. Following her flight, she termed the tribunal that convicted her as a “kangaroo court” and remains adamant about her innocence, stating that charges against her are politically motivated.
As Bangladesh continues to grapple with the consequences of her rule, the intertwined legacies of leadership and authoritarianism serve as a crucial reflection on governance in the region.
