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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for human rights violations stemming from her severe measures 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 lost their lives during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, she expressed the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising during 2024 commenced through demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of further participants, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by media examinations earlier this year implied she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Before the decision, family members of those killed during the protests stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an interim government headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is set for February 2026.

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

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

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

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

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 anger against the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital told press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not closure for the families of those killed and injured.

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the old leadership," he expressed.