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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity stemming from her crackdown on student-led protests which led to her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the unrest in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities 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. Next of kin of victims and harmed had requested severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards ahead of the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and applauding as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the police spokesperson informed press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with requests to remove government job quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of further participants, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by media examinations in previous months indicated she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

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

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

After her departure, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is set for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but until now India has expressed no readiness to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disheartened," he stated further.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

While the sentence 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 Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told media outlets. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this country."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not resolution for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he said.