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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity over her severe measures on student-led protests which resulted in her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the disturbances last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had demanded severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the death penalty 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 proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection ahead of the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and applauding as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

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

The protest movement led by students during 2024 commenced through requests to remove government job quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the intentional injuring of others, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by media examinations in previous months suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

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

She alerted during the past month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; which is why I am disappointed," he continued.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this state."

The activist added that the punishment was not resolution for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, 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 Awami League to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.