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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for human rights violations stemming from her crackdown on student-led protests which caused her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the turmoil during 2024.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was proud of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection ahead of the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative Jisanul Haque told news organizations.

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

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews during the current year suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Before the decision, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest told 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 "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

After her departure, an caretaker administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the election.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disappointed," he added.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to press agencies. "Both she and the organization has apologised or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."

The activist added that the penalty was not finality for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

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

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.