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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for human rights violations due to her harsh response on youth demonstrations which resulted in her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom were killed during the unrest during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had demanded tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards ahead of the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official Jisanul Haque told press agencies.

The student-led uprising last year commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, relatives of those killed during the protests stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has shown no willingness to agree.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disappointed," he stated further.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her former home minister and security forces head.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist told news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive 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 the nation's political landscape again.

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