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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her crackdown on student-led protests which led to her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the unrest during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official Jisanul Haque told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 commenced through demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of others, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by external reviews during the current year implied she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those who died in the demonstrations stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has shown no willingness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; that's why I am disappointed," he continued.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this country."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not resolution for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

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

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.