The International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh, on Monday pronounced its verdict in the trial of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, holding her responsible for the killing of protesters during her regime’s brutal crackdown on student protesters on the streets of Dhaka in what has now come to be known as the July Revolution.
Hasina ultimately fled the country to India in August last year after the protests became more than her administration could handle and has since sought refuge in India, where she currently lives.
The verdict has brought relief to many in Bangladesh, especially the families of victims who were killed as a result of her brutal regime with many fearing that anything less than a death penalty would have led to even more chaos in Bangladesh.
Hasina has dismissed the trial as a charade, but ironically, it was pronounced by the same court that Hasina had set up during her 15-year-long rule and which opposition parties had accused her of using to conduct trials of politically motivated cases against her opponents.
At this time, it is easy to forget exactly how authoritarian Hasina’s rule was and how easy it is for someone, once hailed as a hero to turn into a villain once they get a taste of power, authoritarianism and hold a country hostage to their personal persona.
During her 15 year rule, the country was plagued by corruption, torture of dissidents and opponents and enforced disappearances. Things had reached such a point that opposition parties had collectively boycotted the elections prior to the unrest that toppled her government in August 2024.
That revolution itself claimed the lives of nearly 1,400 people and her one and a half decade long rule many more. That there is palpable anger against Hasina in Bangladesh is understandable.
Daughter of Mujibur Rehman, the Prime Minister who is credited with liberating Bangladesh from the tyranny of East Pakistan, Hasina seems to have quickly forgotten that it is institutions and not individuals that make for a successful long lasting country.
Her regime, despite all of its crimes against humanity, had the backing of India, which has now also offered her refuge and refused to heed requests from its neighbour to hand her over in order that she can face trial. This move is understandable, as handing her over would mean certain death.
That said, it is India’s neglect of the deteriorating situation in Bangladesh in order that their favoured regime could remain in power is going to be a sore point between the two countries going forward and more than that, it is India’s neglect that allowed the situation to fester for so long and come down to this.
India, if it wants to be seen as a powerhouse in global diplomacy needs to use its weight to speak up for the values of democracy, human rights and use its influence to get friendly governments to stay away from brutality in tackling opponents.
Sadly, India has had a foreign policy that is wishy-washy and devoid of any semblance of principles -- especially when it comes to countries in its neighbourhood -- Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Nepal to name a few. Protecting Hasina isn’t going to further that cause.
