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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for human rights violations stemming from her crackdown on protests led by students which led to her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the unrest during 2024.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and applauding as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated 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.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those who died in the demonstrations stated to media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

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

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

The former leader cautioned last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

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

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this country."

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

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with the former leader and the former hierarchy," he expressed.