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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity due to her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom were killed during the turmoil in the previous year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her government's record on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards before the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the police spokesperson informed media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of further participants, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest told news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

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

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

After her departure, an interim government led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the election.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but until now India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am sad," he continued.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Although the punishment offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not resolution for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.