Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on student-led protests which led to her ousting.
Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest last year.
Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.
Prosecutors accused her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial biased and politically motivated.
The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Families of those killed and injured had called for tough penalties.
Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of nullifying [her party] the Awami League as a political force and that she was proud of her government's record on human rights.
I am not afraid to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly.
The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security ahead of the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and cheering as the verdict was read.
At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official Jisanul Haque told the BBC.
The student-led uprising last year started with demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.
UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to crimes against humanity.
Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by BBC Eye earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of lethal weapons in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.
Ahead of the verdict, family members of those killed during the protests told the BBC they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.
Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.
However, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.
Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.
While the sentence offers some closure to families of those killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.
