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

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom were killed during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had requested strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, she expressed the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was content of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security ahead of the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative Jisanul Haque stated to news organizations.

The student-led uprising last year started with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations during the current year implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those killed during the protests stated to media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured 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 families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is set for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but until now India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disappointed," he continued.

Last week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

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

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Hasina and the previous administration," he said.