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

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the turmoil last year.

Hasina was tried 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 behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, Hasina said the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her government's record on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a notable rise in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the intentional injuring of others, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews in previous months suggested she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest informed media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the vote.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disheartened," he added.

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The anger against the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to news organizations. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this state."

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

"We work with multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.