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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 student-led protests which led to her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the disturbances last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had demanded severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards before the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official Jisanul Haque stated to press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with requests to remove government job quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The report documented the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

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

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed 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 husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

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

Following her removal, an temporary leadership headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her return but until now India has expressed no readiness to agree.

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

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

Last week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital informed press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this country."

The activist added that the sentence was not closure for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We assist several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.