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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for human rights violations stemming from her severe measures on protests led by students which caused her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had called for tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her government's record on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative Jisanul Haque told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest told media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

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

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured 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 minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her return but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; which is why I am disappointed," he stated further.

Recently, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or displayed repentance 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 nation."

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

"We assist several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

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