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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for atrocities due to her severe measures on protests led by students which led to her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and injured had called for strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, she expressed the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection prior to the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and applauding as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the authorities' representative informed news organizations.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year began with requests to remove state employment quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by investigative sources during the current year implied she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, kin of those killed during the protests stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

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

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

After her departure, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the election.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. Authorities have sought her return but so far India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disappointed," he continued.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this country."

The activist added that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.