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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 caused her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted all charges, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had called for tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, she expressed the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and cheering as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the police spokesperson informed news organizations.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year began with calls to eliminate government job quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by investigative sources in previous months suggested she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest told news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

After her departure, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disheartened," he continued.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

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

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed press agencies. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not resolution for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We support multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.