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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for atrocities over her crackdown on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had requested tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her government's record on human rights.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards ahead of the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising 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 represent "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations earlier this year indicated she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

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

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Following her removal, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is set for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the election.

This decision presents a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

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

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the her political party has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this country."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not resolution for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Hasina and the previous administration," he said.