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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for atrocities due to her severe measures on protests led by students which resulted in her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and wounded had requested tough penalties.

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

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative told news organizations.

The student-led uprising last year began with demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of further participants, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by external reviews during the current year implied she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests told media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

A different family member, whose spouse died 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 achieve closure in their souls."

After her departure, an interim government led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is set for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the election.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but to date India has shown no willingness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; that's why I am sad," he stated further.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The anger against the former leader and the her political party has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told press agencies. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this nation."

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

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.