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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for atrocities due to her harsh response on student-led protests which caused her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the unrest last year.

The trial proceeded 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.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

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

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security ahead of the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a notable rise in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 began with calls to eliminate government job quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by investigative sources in previous months suggested she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations told media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

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

Following her removal, an caretaker administration led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned last month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the election.

This decision presents a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but so far India has expressed no readiness to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disheartened," he stated further.

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

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

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed press agencies. "Both she and the organization has apologised or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this state."

The activist added that the sentence was not finality for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.