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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for human rights violations stemming from her severe measures on protests led by students which led to her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people died during the turmoil in the previous year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and wounded had demanded severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards prior to the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the police spokesperson informed media outlets.

The student-led uprising last year commenced through calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of others, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those who died in the demonstrations informed news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her return but to date India has shown no willingness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; that's why I am disheartened," he continued.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

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

Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not finality for the families of those killed and injured.

"We assist several people who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Hasina and the old leadership," he said.