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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for human rights violations stemming from her crackdown on protests led by students which caused her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil during 2024.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and injured had demanded tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque stated to news organizations.

The student-led uprising last year commenced through requests to remove government job quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by media examinations during the current year implied she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the election.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her repatriation but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; which is why I am disheartened," he added.

The previous week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital informed news organizations. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this country."

The activist added that the punishment was not closure for the families of those killed and injured.

"We assist multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he said.