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

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the disturbances last year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Families of those killed and harmed 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 "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security prior to the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and cheering as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a sudden increase in disturbances, 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 zero injuries documented, regional security representative the authorities' representative informed news organizations.

The protest movement led by students last year began with demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of further participants, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources earlier this year implied she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

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

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

Following her removal, an temporary leadership headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is set for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the election.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her return but until now India has expressed no readiness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; which is why I am disheartened," he continued.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her former home minister and police chief.

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 anger against Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this country."

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

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

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he said.