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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her crackdown on protests led by students which caused her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had called for severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official Jisanul Haque told news organizations.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 began with demands to abolish state employment quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by external reviews in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those killed during the protests told press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed 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 "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the election.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for both nations. Authorities have sought her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; for that reason I am sad," he added.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"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 said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this nation."

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

"We assist numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.