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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for human rights violations due to her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her ousting.

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

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and injured had requested tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and cheering as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The student-led uprising last year commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by external reviews earlier this year indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

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

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

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

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration led by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is set for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her return but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disheartened," he continued.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her ex-interior minister and police chief.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to press agencies. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this country."

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

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with the former leader and the previous administration," he expressed.