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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for human rights violations due to her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the disturbances in the previous year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

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

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security ahead of the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and applauding as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a recent spike in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the authorities' representative stated to news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of further participants, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations in previous months implied she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations told media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

After her departure, an temporary leadership headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her return but until now India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disappointed," he stated further.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her former home minister and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to families of killed 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 civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed news organizations. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this country."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not closure for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.