She was once regarded as a secular heroine, the daughter of a revolutionary leader, whose bloody death in the 1970s defined her political path.
However, her rise to the pinnacle of politics in Bangladesh was preceded by a dazzling fall – removal from power and exile to India.
The death sentence, handed down in absentia, may now be carried out – if New Delhi decides on her extradition.
The former leader was found guilty of crimes against humanity for the brutal suppression of student protests that toppled her regime in 2024.
She fled to India last August after 15 years of increasingly authoritarian rule, finding asylum in the capital of one of its closest allies.
Now she has become a figure in a tense duel between two countries: Dhaka demands her extradition so she can answer before the law for alleged crimes.
“She had to flee the country to escape the people’s anger,”
Hasina’s political journey and her legacy
Hasina’s fate is a story enriched with tragedy and exile, spanning decades and closely tied to the history of her country.
The elder daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman – “the Father of the Nation” – her name first came to be spoken in the context of the struggle for Bangladesh’s autonomy from Pakistan. But it was the tragic nights of August 1975 that defined her path to power.
In the chaos of that time, a military coup took the lives of her father, mother, and three brothers – Hasina and her sister survived this while abroad in West Germany.
After the Global Coup, General Ziaur Rahman, the future foe of her fierce opponent Khaleda Zia, came to power, and the regime enacted a law that shielded Mujibur’s killers from justice for decades.
Hasina spent six years in exile in India, leaving a deep imprint on her relations with that country and shaping her attitude toward state institutions.
Returning to Bangladesh in 1981, she encountered a country that sought secular foundations, but she entered the political arena where two women, linked by tragic events: Zia and her husband, who was killed, competed.
“When I landed at the airport, I was greeted by none of my relatives, but I was greeted by the love of millions of people, and that was my only strength.”
Over the following years she led the Awami League, endured arrests and politics of prudent reforms, winning the 1996 elections and becoming prime minister for the first time.
Her first move in office was to initiate cases against those involved in the 1975 coup and the murders of her family, launching a pursuit of justice.
As a secular Muslim, she defined the political course, but returned to power in 2008 as a more resolute leader, aiming to secure her place forever.
During the next 15 years Bangladesh experienced economic development with a focus on eastern growth, and countries in the region received support from India through economic and security agreements, while rivals such as Pakistan and China loomed on the horizon.
At the same time concerns grew about a possible one-party system, rising censorship, pressure on activists and the media, and escalating political violence in the country.
“She shed so much blood to preserve power,”
In the domestic political context Hasina’s image underwent a shift: the country experienced a period of repression against popular protests and arrests of activists. In close cooperation with India, her government enjoyed significant regional support, but concerns about the future political order after Hasina and her opponents were exiled also emerged.
“This is India’s responsibility under the current bilateral extradition treaty between the two countries,”
Experts estimate that India should view the case as a political crime rather than a crime against humanity, which calls into question the nature of the charges in the Bangladeshi court. Analyst Anil Trigunayat noted that Hasina has the right to appeal the decision in the Bangladesh Supreme Court, and subsequently in international forums, if such a decision becomes available – and India is not rushing to extradite until all legal avenues are exhausted.
The day of the verdict for Hasina coincided with a tense period ahead of the upcoming election campaign in Bangladesh. The caretaker government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus faces the task of guiding the country out of sharp political divisions.
Amid the shadow of this history, questions remain: will the end of the era of toxic politics be a turning point for Bangladesh, or will it open a new, uncertain chapter in her story?