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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for atrocities due to her severe measures on student-led protests which resulted in her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people died during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had demanded strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security ahead of the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and cheering as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the police spokesperson informed press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year started with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources during the current year implied she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those killed during the protests informed press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is set for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but so far India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am sad," he stated further.

The previous week, 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.

Hasina was tried alongside her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

While the sentence offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not resolution for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the old leadership," he said.