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

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the disturbances in the previous year.

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

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had requested severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was content of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the authorities' representative stated to news organizations.

The student-led uprising last year commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by investigative sources earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest told press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

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

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration led by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the election.

This decision presents a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disheartened," he stated further.

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty 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, 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 increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from the former leader and the previous administration," he said.