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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity due to her severe measures on protests led by students which led to her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had called for strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security prior to the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and cheering as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the police spokesperson told media outlets.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 started with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by media examinations in previous months suggested she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations informed press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, 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".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their souls."

Following her removal, an interim government under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the vote.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; which is why I am disappointed," he stated further.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has apologised or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this country."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he stated.