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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for human rights violations stemming from her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom were killed during the unrest during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had demanded tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

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

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

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising last year started with demands to abolish government job quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by media examinations during the current year implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest informed press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

After her departure, an caretaker administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the vote.

This decision presents a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disappointed," he stated further.

Recently, her legal team 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 ex-interior minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital informed press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not finality for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.