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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity due to her crackdown on protests led by students which led to her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the disturbances last year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection prior to the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

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

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

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by media examinations in previous months indicated she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations informed press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

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

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

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

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; for that reason I am sad," he continued.

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

The former leader faced trial alongside her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Although the punishment offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to press agencies. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this country."

The activist added that the punishment was not closure for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We support numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.