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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for human rights violations due to her harsh response on protests led by students which caused her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the disturbances in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the police spokesperson told media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 began with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews in previous months indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest told news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds 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".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

After her departure, an caretaker administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the election.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but until now India has shown no willingness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; that's why I am sad," he continued.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Although the punishment offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this country."

The activist added that the sentence was not finality for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.