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

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom were killed during the disturbances during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was content of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the authorities' representative stated to press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by external reviews during the current year indicated she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest told media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

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".

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the election.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her repatriation but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disheartened," he added.

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

Hasina was tried together with her former home minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this country."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not finality for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We support numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from the former leader and the previous administration," he said.