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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her severe measures on protests led by students which led to her removal from power.

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

Hasina was tried in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and harmed had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

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

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by external reviews in previous months indicated she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those who died in the demonstrations informed media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

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

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

The former leader cautioned last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the ballot.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am sad," he stated further.

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her former home minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased 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 diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told press agencies. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this state."

The activist added that the punishment was not finality for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he expressed.