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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for human rights violations over her severe measures on protests led by students which resulted in her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the turmoil in the previous year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, Hasina said the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her government's record on human rights.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection prior to the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative stated to press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with demands to abolish government job quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews during the current year suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations told 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 the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an interim government headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the election.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her repatriation but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disappointed," he added.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this nation."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not resolution for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with several people who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

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