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

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the disturbances last year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had requested tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with calls to eliminate government job quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by external reviews earlier this year indicated she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

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

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is set for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this country."

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

"We assist numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he said.