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

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people died during the unrest in the previous year.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

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

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards ahead of the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the authorities' representative told news organizations.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 started with calls to eliminate government job quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "violations of human dignity".

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

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by external reviews in previous months suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

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

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

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

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this state."

The activist added that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those killed and injured.

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

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

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with the former leader and the previous administration," he said.