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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for human rights violations over her crackdown on student-led protests which caused her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was proud of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by external reviews during the current year suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those who died in the demonstrations told media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

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

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

After her departure, an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the election.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

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

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital informed news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not closure for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

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