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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 protests led by students which caused her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and injured had demanded strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the execution sentence 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 human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection prior to the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and cheering as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the authorities' representative stated to news organizations.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews earlier this year indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those who died in the demonstrations informed media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

After her departure, an interim government under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but to date India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disheartened," he added.

Recently, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to press agencies. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We work with multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.