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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity stemming from her severe measures on protests led by students which caused her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted all charges, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers 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 ahead of the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and cheering as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative Jisanul Haque stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by media examinations during the current year implied she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, 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".

Lucky Akther, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

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

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

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

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her former home minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."

The activist added that the sentence was not resolution for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We support multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he said.