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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity due to her crackdown on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people died during the turmoil in the previous year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security prior to the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources during the current year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those who died in the demonstrations told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the ballot.

This decision presents a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disheartened," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her ex-interior minister and police chief.

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

"The fury directed at Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this nation."

The activist added that the sentence was not resolution for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with the former leader and the old leadership," he expressed.