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

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the disturbances in the previous year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had requested strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, Hasina said the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was proud of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the police spokesperson told media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with demands to abolish government job quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by investigative sources earlier this year suggested she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

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

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

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

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

She alerted last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; which is why I am sad," he stated further.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

While the sentence offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this country."

The activist added that the punishment was not resolution for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We work with numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he stated.