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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for human rights violations stemming from her crackdown on protests led by students which caused her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, she expressed the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a notable rise in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising in the previous year started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources in previous months indicated she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those killed during the protests informed media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is set for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the election.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but until now India has shown no willingness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am sad," he added.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital told news organizations. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this country."

The activist added that the penalty was not resolution for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.