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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for atrocities over her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the turmoil last year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, Hasina said the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her government's record on human rights.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security ahead of the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year began with calls to eliminate government job quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by investigative sources in previous months indicated she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations informed media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

After her departure, an interim government under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted last month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her repatriation but to date India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; that's why I am sad," he added.

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

Hasina was tried together with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this country."

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

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with the former leader and the previous administration," he stated.