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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for human rights violations due to her crackdown on student-led protests which caused her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the disturbances during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and injured had demanded strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque told press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with calls to eliminate government job quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of others, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader verified by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Before the decision, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed 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 under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted last month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the vote.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disheartened," he stated further.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

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

While the sentence offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital told news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this state."

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

"We support numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, 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 "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with the former leader and the former hierarchy," he said.