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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for atrocities stemming from her severe measures on protests led by students which resulted in her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people died during the turmoil last year.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the special international tribunal 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 the entire case, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

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

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the authorities' representative stated to news organizations.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 started with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of others, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by investigative sources during the current year indicated she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Before the decision, kin of those killed during the protests stated to press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" 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 the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

After her departure, an caretaker administration led by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the election.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; which is why I am sad," he stated further.

Last week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the her political party has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital told press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not finality for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We work with several people who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.