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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for atrocities stemming from her crackdown on youth demonstrations which resulted in her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the disturbances during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had called for strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection ahead of the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

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

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the authorities' representative stated to news organizations.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 started with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by external reviews during the current year indicated she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those killed during the protests informed news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose husband was killed 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 under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but to date India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disappointed," he added.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "Both she and the organization has apologised or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

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

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

"We assist multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.