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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity stemming from her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded in absentia 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 numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with demands to abolish 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 report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader verified by media examinations during the current year implied she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest informed news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

After her departure, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned last month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the vote.

This decision presents a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

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

Recently, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

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

Although the punishment grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital informed press agencies. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse 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 country."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not resolution for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.