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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people died during the unrest last year.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Families of those killed and injured had requested severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards prior to the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and cheering as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a sudden increase in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 began with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by media examinations during the current year suggested she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest informed press outlets 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 "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

After her departure, an temporary leadership headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the election.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her return but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; which is why I am disappointed," he stated further.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital informed press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this nation."

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

"We work with 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."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.