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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity due to her severe measures on student-led protests which caused her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the disturbances during 2024.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and injured had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, she expressed the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque stated to media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt last year commenced through calls to eliminate government job quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews during the current year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Before the decision, family members of those killed during the protests stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the ballot.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disheartened," he added.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her former home minister and security forces head.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed news organizations. "Both she and the organization has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not resolution for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist several people who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.