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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards ahead of the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in turmoil, 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 no victims identified, local police official the authorities' representative stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising last year began with requests to remove state employment quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews earlier this year indicated she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations told news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

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

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

After her departure, an temporary leadership headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the election.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

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

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this country."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not resolution for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

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

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.