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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for human rights violations due to her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom were killed during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security before the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year started with demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews during the current year implied she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those killed during the protests informed news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

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

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disappointed," he added.

Recently, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this nation."

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

"We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with the former leader and the former hierarchy," he said.