The nation of Bangladesh's Deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed Sentenced to Death

Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for atrocities over her harsh response on protests led by students which caused her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the turmoil last year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had called for strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and applauding as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the authorities' representative told press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with requests to remove state employment quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of further participants, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by external reviews earlier this year indicated she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those who died in the demonstrations informed media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

After her departure, an interim government under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the election.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but so far India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; that's why I am disappointed," he continued.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "The leader and her faction has apologised 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 advocate continued that the sentence was not finality for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from the former leader and the previous administration," he expressed.