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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for human rights violations due to her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her removal from power.

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

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Families of those killed and harmed had called for strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection before the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a sudden increase in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year began with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by investigative sources during the current year implied she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest told news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the vote.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has shown no willingness to agree.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disappointed," he stated further.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

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

Although the punishment offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the her political party has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist told news organizations. "Both she and the organization has apologised or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this state."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not closure for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

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