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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for human rights violations stemming from her severe measures on protests led by students which resulted in her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the disturbances last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had requested severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, 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 proud of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards before the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the authorities' representative stated to press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year commenced through calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews during the current year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those killed during the protests informed press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the election.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her return but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disappointed," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this state."

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

"We assist multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, 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 "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.