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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for atrocities due to her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom were killed during the disturbances last year.

The trial proceeded 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 hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected 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. Families of those killed and injured had demanded strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the caretaker administration'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 have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative Jisanul Haque informed press agencies.

The student-led uprising in the previous year commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests informed press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

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

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disappointed," he added.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

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

Even though the verdict offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the her political party has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

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

The advocate continued that the penalty was not closure for the families of those killed and injured.

"We assist several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.