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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for atrocities over her severe measures on protests led by students which caused her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom were killed during the unrest last year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had demanded severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards ahead of the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews in previous months suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, relatives of those killed during the protests stated to news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

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

After her departure, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

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

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the ballot.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her return but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disappointed," he added.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her former home minister and police chief.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital informed news organizations. "The leader and her faction has apologised or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

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

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not closure for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, 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 the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.