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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity due to her harsh response on student-led protests which led to 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 turmoil during 2024.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and harmed had demanded strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her government's record on civil liberties.

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

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative informed press agencies.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through requests to remove government job quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations told media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

After her departure, an temporary leadership headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is set for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the election.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disappointed," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her former home minister and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital informed press agencies. "The leader and her faction has apologised or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this state."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not finality for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We assist numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

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