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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for atrocities stemming from her severe measures on youth demonstrations which led to her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia 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 the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had called for tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and applauding as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the authorities' representative informed press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 commenced through calls to eliminate government job quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of others, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader verified by investigative sources earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations stated to media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disappointed," he added.

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

Hasina was tried alongside her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the her political party has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this country."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not closure for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

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