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

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

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) 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. Hasina has denied every accusation, 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 tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, she expressed the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was content of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection before the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with requests to remove government job quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by media examinations earlier this year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest told press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

After her departure, an interim government under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her repatriation but until now India has expressed no readiness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; that's why I am sad," he stated further.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist told press agencies. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."

The activist added that the sentence was not resolution for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with several people who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with the former leader and the previous administration," he expressed.