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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for human rights violations due to her harsh response on protests led by students which resulted in her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom were killed during the turmoil during 2024.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict 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 content of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque told press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with calls to eliminate government job quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations stated to news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the election.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but until now India has expressed no readiness 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 clients are absent; for that reason I am disheartened," he stated further.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

While the sentence offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital informed news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this nation."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not resolution for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We support several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.