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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for atrocities stemming from her harsh response on protests led by students which resulted in her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the disturbances last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had called for strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, she expressed the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection before the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a recent spike in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque stated to press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 started with requests to remove state employment quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by media examinations in previous months indicated she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those who died in the demonstrations told news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Following her removal, an interim government headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but to date India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disappointed," he stated further.

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

The former leader faced trial alongside her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this country."

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

"We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.