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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for human rights violations stemming from her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the disturbances during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent 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 multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had demanded strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security prior to the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a notable rise in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque stated to news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt last year commenced through demands to abolish state employment quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by investigative sources earlier this year suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations told press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, 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 abused their power".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

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

After her departure, an caretaker administration led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the vote.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her return but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disappointed," he continued.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this state."

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

"We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

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