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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for atrocities stemming from her crackdown on student-led protests which caused her forced departure.

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

Hasina was tried 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 responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the authorities' representative told press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year commenced through requests to remove government job quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by external reviews in previous months indicated she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, relatives of those killed during the protests stated to news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her return but to date India has shown no willingness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disappointed," he stated further.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her former home minister and security forces head.

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

"The resentment towards Hasina 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 apologised or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this state."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not finality for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.