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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity due to her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the turmoil last year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection prior to the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and cheering as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the police spokesperson informed media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt last year started with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by investigative sources earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest informed news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

After her departure, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the vote.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disappointed," he added.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina 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 state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not finality for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We support numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.