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

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom died during the turmoil last year.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, Hasina said 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 administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and applauding as the verdict was read.

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

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official Jisanul Haque informed press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year began with requests to remove government job quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by media examinations earlier this year indicated she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

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

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the election.

This decision presents a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but to date India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disappointed," he stated further.

Recently, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her former home minister and security forces head.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

The activist added that the punishment was not resolution for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We assist numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he stated.