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

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people died during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and harmed had called for tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and cheering as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year began with demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by external reviews in previous months suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Before the decision, kin of those killed during the protests informed press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

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

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

Hasina warned last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. Authorities have sought her repatriation but until now India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am sad," he added.

Recently, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital informed press agencies. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not closure for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

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