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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for human rights violations stemming from her crackdown on student-led protests which led to her forced departure.

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

Hasina was tried without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had called for strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was content of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and applauding as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a notable rise in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the authorities' representative told media outlets.

The student-led uprising last year began with requests to remove state employment quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and torture.

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

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died 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 achieve closure in their hearts."

Following her removal, an interim government headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the election.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

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

The previous week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

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

"The anger against the former leader and the her political party has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to press agencies. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this country."

The activist added that the sentence was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We assist multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.