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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity stemming from her harsh response on student-led protests which resulted in her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest last year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative Jisanul Haque told press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year commenced through requests to remove state employment quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

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

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

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by investigative sources during the current year suggested she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted last month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the election.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but so far India has shown no willingness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; that's why I am sad," he added.

The previous week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not resolution for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We support multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, 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 her party to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he said.