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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 caused her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people died during the disturbances during 2024.

Hasina was tried while she was absent 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 the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Families of those killed and injured had called for severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, she expressed the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on human rights.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and cheering as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising last year started with calls to eliminate government job quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of others, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by investigative sources during the current year suggested she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations told 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 "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the election.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but until now India has shown no willingness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disheartened," he added.

The previous week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out 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 offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

The activist added that the punishment was not resolution for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.