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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for atrocities stemming from her harsh response on student-led protests which resulted in her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom were killed during the unrest in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had demanded severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was content of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security ahead of the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the authorities' representative informed news organizations.

The protest movement led by students last year began with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by investigative sources during the current year implied she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest informed press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

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

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

After her departure, an interim government under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned last month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the election.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disappointed," he stated further.

Recently, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this state."

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

"We assist numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

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