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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on protests led by students which resulted in her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the disturbances last year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted all charges, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had requested severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection prior to the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative told news organizations.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by external reviews in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest informed news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

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

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the ballot.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her return but until now India has shown no willingness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disheartened," he added.

Recently, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

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

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this country."

The activist added that the sentence was not resolution for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We support numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

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