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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity due to 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 activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the disturbances in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and injured had demanded tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, Hasina said the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection before the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson told media outlets.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader verified by investigative sources in previous months implied she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those who died in the demonstrations told news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

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

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

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

After her departure, an temporary leadership headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is set for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disappointed," he stated further.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to press agencies. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not resolution for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.