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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity stemming from her severe measures on protests led by students which led to her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil during 2024.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 commenced through demands to abolish state employment quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The report documented the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader verified by media examinations during the current year suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

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

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

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the election.

This decision presents a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has shown no willingness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; that's why I am disappointed," he continued.

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

The former leader faced trial alongside her former home minister and security forces head.

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

"The fury directed at the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to press agencies. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

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

"We work with numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. 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 particularly hard" for the political faction to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

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