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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for human rights violations stemming from her crackdown on protests led by students which caused her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the disturbances in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards before the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and applauding as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the police spokesperson informed press agencies.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 began with requests to remove government job quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations earlier this year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations stated to news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their souls."

After her departure, an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her repatriation but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; that's why I am sad," he added.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her former home minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims 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 human rights advocate from the capital told news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this country."

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

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.