The nation of Bangladesh's Ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed Given to Death

The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her crackdown on protests led by students which led to her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest during 2024.

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

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews during the current year implied she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those who died in the demonstrations informed media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, 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 relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist told press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted 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 work with multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he said.