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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for atrocities due to her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the turmoil last year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and injured had requested severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and cheering as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the authorities' representative told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt last year commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by investigative sources earlier this year indicated she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations stated to media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the election.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her return but to date India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disappointed," he added.

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her former home minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The anger against the former leader and the her political party has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this nation."

The activist added that the penalty was not resolution for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from the former leader and the old leadership," he stated.