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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for human rights violations due to her crackdown on student-led protests which caused her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the disturbances during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had called for tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards prior to the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and cheering as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque informed press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews earlier this year indicated she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those who died in the demonstrations told media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is set for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned last 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. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; that's why I am disheartened," he added.

Recently, her legal team 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 in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The anger against the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this state."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with the former leader and the previous administration," he said.