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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for human rights violations over her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil in the previous year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had called for strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the police spokesperson informed news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 began with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but transformed 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 paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by media examinations earlier this year implied she had authorized 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 killed during the protests told news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Following her removal, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the vote.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; which is why I am disappointed," he continued.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The anger against the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not finality for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.