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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 student-led protests which caused her removal from power.

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

Hasina was tried without her presence 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. Hasina has denied every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, Hasina said the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with requests to remove government job quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of others, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations earlier this year indicated she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those who died in the demonstrations informed news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

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

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the election.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her repatriation but until now India has shown no willingness to comply.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; for that reason I am sad," he added.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her former home minister and police chief.

Although the punishment offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

The activist added that the penalty was not finality for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We assist numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.