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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for human rights violations over her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the disturbances in the previous year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent 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 the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. 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 "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"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 ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a notable rise in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative told news organizations.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader confirmed by investigative sources earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, family members of those who died in the demonstrations informed news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty 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."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; for that reason I am sad," he continued.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict 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 the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital informed press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this country."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with the former leader and the previous administration," he said.