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

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom died during the disturbances during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had called for severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and applauding as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the authorities' representative stated to press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by media examinations earlier this year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

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

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

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

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the vote.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has shown no willingness to agree.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; which is why I am sad," he added.

The previous week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told news organizations. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "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 closure for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We assist multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Hasina and the old leadership," he said.