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

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the unrest in the previous year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and wounded had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security ahead of the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and cheering as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a recent spike in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official Jisanul Haque informed press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year began with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by investigative sources in previous months indicated she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, kin of those killed during the protests stated to news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

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

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

After her departure, an temporary leadership led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the election.

This decision presents a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but until now India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; which is why I am disappointed," he added.

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

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the her political party has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not closure for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We assist several people who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, 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 normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with the former leader and the former hierarchy," he said.