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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for human rights violations stemming from her severe measures on protests led by students which led to her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom were killed during the turmoil in the previous year.

Hasina was tried 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.

The prosecution alleged of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, she expressed the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson informed press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year began with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies 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 constitute "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by investigative sources in previous months implied she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those killed during the protests told news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

After her departure, an caretaker administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned last month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

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

Recently, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted 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 work with several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.