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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 ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and harmed had requested tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection prior to the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative told media outlets.

The student-led uprising last year started with demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources earlier this year implied she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

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

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the vote.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disheartened," he added.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed press agencies. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this state."

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

"We assist numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he expressed.