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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, Hasina said the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her government's record on human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the authorities' representative told news organizations.

The protest movement led by students last year started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by external reviews during the current year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations told news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" 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 the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

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

After her departure, an caretaker administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted last month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her return but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; which is why I am sad," he continued.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Although the punishment offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to news organizations. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this country."

The activist added that the sentence was not resolution for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.