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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for human rights violations over her harsh response on protests led by students which resulted in her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and injured had requested strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was proud of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers 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 ahead of the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and cheering as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative Jisanul Haque informed media outlets.

The student-led uprising last year commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest informed press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, 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 relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the vote.

This decision presents a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her former home 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 anger against the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist told press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this country."

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

"We work with numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, 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 particularly hard" for Awami League to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he said.