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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for human rights violations over her severe measures on protests led by students which caused her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and applauding as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative informed news organizations.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year began with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by media examinations earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

After her departure, an interim government headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the election.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her return but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; that's why I am disheartened," he continued.

The previous week, the defense attorneys 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 in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital informed news organizations. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this state."

The activist added that the sentence was not resolution for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We support several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.