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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 protests led by students which resulted in her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom were killed during the turmoil in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted 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.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had called for strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque stated to press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

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

Prior to the ruling, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest told press outlets 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 Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, 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 obtain solace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the election.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her return but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; which is why I am disappointed," he continued.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The activist added that the punishment was not resolution for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist several people who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

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