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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 resulted in her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the turmoil during 2024.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had requested strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative told news organizations.

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

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest informed news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Following her removal, an interim government headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has shown no willingness to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am sad," he continued.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her former home minister and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not resolution for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.