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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for human rights violations over her harsh response on protests led by students which resulted in her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the disturbances during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Court 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 the entire case, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and harmed had requested tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards prior to the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and cheering as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the authorities' representative told media outlets.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with requests to remove state employment quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by investigative sources during the current year suggested she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those who died in the demonstrations informed media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the election.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her return but to date India has shown no willingness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; for that reason I am sad," he stated further.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

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

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not closure for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.