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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for atrocities over her severe measures on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the turmoil in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the death penalty was the temporary leadership'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 just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a sudden increase in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative Jisanul Haque informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising during 2024 began with calls to eliminate government job quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations earlier this year suggested she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, kin of those killed during the protests informed media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

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

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

After her departure, an temporary leadership led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned last month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the election.

This decision presents a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but until now India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; that's why I am disheartened," he stated further.

Recently, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not finality for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We support multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.