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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity stemming from her harsh response on student-led protests which caused her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the unrest in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, Hasina said the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the police spokesperson informed press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 started with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews in previous months suggested she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

After her departure, an temporary leadership led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but to date India has shown no willingness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disheartened," he added.

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

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the her political party has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed news organizations. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this nation."

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

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, 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 standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with the former leader and the former hierarchy," he stated.