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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for human rights violations stemming from her harsh response on protests led by students which resulted in her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom died during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted all charges, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had demanded strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the police spokesperson informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by investigative sources earlier this year indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her return but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

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

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist told news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not resolution for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.