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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity due to her harsh response on student-led protests which caused her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom died during the turmoil last year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and injured had demanded strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" 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 just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection prior to the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and applauding as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative informed news organizations.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina 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 legal process.

Before the decision, family members of those killed during the protests informed media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Following her removal, an interim government led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

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

She alerted in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but so far India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

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

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not finality for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

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