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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for atrocities over her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had requested tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

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

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection before the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising last year started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations earlier this year indicated she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests informed press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the ballot.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to agree.

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

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

The activist added that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those killed and injured.

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

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from the former leader and the previous administration," he said.