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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for atrocities due to her severe measures on youth demonstrations which led to her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the unrest in the previous year.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Families of those killed and harmed had requested strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, Hasina said the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in disturbances, 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 casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative stated to news organizations.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 began with demands to abolish government job quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

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

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the election.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; for that reason I am sad," he continued.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

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

While the sentence offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this country."

The activist added that the penalty was not finality for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We support numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Hasina and the old leadership," he said.