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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for atrocities stemming from her severe measures on student-led protests which led to her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the disturbances during 2024.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and harmed had called for strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and applauding as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque stated to media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by external reviews during the current year indicated she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the election.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am sad," he continued.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the her political party has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist told news organizations. "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 party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this country."

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

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, 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 standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

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