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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity stemming from her severe measures on student-led protests which led to 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 in the previous year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had requested tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a recent spike in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding 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 informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by media examinations earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those who died in the demonstrations told media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

After her departure, an temporary leadership headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but until now India has expressed no readiness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am sad," he added.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not finality for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.