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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for atrocities over her severe measures on student-led protests which caused her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the unrest in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and harmed had called for severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her leadership's history on human rights.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and applauding as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson told news organizations.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by external reviews earlier this year indicated she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those who died in the demonstrations told press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am sad," he continued.

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

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

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not resolution for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.