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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for atrocities due to her crackdown on student-led protests which caused her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the disturbances in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had requested strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and applauding as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in turmoil, 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 told media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 started with requests to remove government job quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader verified by investigative sources during the current year indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" 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 informed press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the election.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

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

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The anger against the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist told news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this country."

The activist added that the penalty was not resolution for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.