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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 removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the turmoil in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

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

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was content of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a sudden increase in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque stated to media outlets.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of further participants, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by external reviews during the current year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

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

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

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

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

Following her removal, an caretaker administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the vote.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; which is why I am disheartened," he stated further.

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."

The activist added that the punishment was not closure for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.