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

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom died during the turmoil last year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, she expressed the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and applauding as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official Jisanul Haque stated to press agencies.

The student-led uprising last year commenced through requests to remove government job quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by media examinations during the current year indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Before the decision, family members of those who died in the demonstrations informed media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

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

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

After her departure, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the vote.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but to date India has shown no willingness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disappointed," he stated further.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed press agencies. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The activist added that the punishment was not finality for the families of those killed and injured.

"We work with numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.