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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for atrocities due to her severe measures on protests led by students which resulted in her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom were killed during the disturbances in the previous year.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had demanded strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a notable rise in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the police spokesperson stated to news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with requests to remove government job quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader verified by investigative sources earlier this year indicated she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those killed during the protests informed news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

After her departure, an interim government under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her return but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

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

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

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed press agencies. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

The activist added that the sentence was not closure for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. 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 even more difficult" for the political faction to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with the former leader and the old leadership," he expressed.