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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for atrocities over her harsh response on student-led protests which led to her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people died during the turmoil last year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) 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 hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted all charges, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Families of those killed and wounded had requested strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a sudden increase in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative Jisanul Haque told news organizations.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations earlier this year indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; which is why I am sad," he continued.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

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