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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for atrocities due to her severe measures on student-led protests which resulted in her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Families of those killed and injured had requested strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection prior to the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the authorities' representative informed press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 began with requests to remove state employment quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by investigative sources in previous months implied she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

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

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the election.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her return but so far India has expressed no readiness to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disappointed," he added.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

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

While the sentence grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not resolution for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.