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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for atrocities stemming from her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her removal from power.

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

The trial proceeded 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.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Families of those killed and harmed had called for tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on human rights.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a sudden increase in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to news organizations.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of further participants, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews in previous months indicated she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those who died in the demonstrations informed news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

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

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

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

However, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the ballot.

This decision presents a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but to date India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disheartened," he added.

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

Hasina was tried alongside her former home minister and security forces head.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital informed news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this nation."

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

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.