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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for human rights violations stemming from her harsh response on protests led by students which resulted in her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, 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 turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through demands to abolish state employment quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews in previous months suggested she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Following her removal, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the election.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but until now India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; that's why I am sad," he continued.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

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

While the sentence grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The anger against the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this state."

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

"We assist numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" 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 stated.