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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 led to her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom were killed during the turmoil last year.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had requested severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid 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 enhanced protection before the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and applauding as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a notable rise in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative Jisanul Haque told press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year began with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those killed during the protests stated to news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. Authorities have sought her return but so far India has shown no willingness to agree.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; that's why I am sad," he added.

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

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

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

"The fury directed at Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed news organizations. "Both she and the organization has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

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

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

"We work with numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from the former leader and the old leadership," he stated.