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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.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the disturbances last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her government's record on human rights.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards prior to the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the authorities' representative stated to news organizations.

The student-led uprising during 2024 began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by investigative sources earlier this year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those who died in the demonstrations informed press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

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

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

After her departure, an caretaker administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is set for February 2026.

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

She alerted during the past month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the ballot.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

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

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

Last week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this state."

The activist added that the punishment was not closure for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.