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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 led to her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, she expressed the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection before the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by media examinations earlier this year implied she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests informed news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, 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 prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for both nations. Authorities have sought her return but so far India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disheartened," he stated further.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this country."

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

"We assist multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the old leadership," he expressed.