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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity stemming from her crackdown on youth demonstrations which caused her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people died during the unrest during 2024.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on human rights.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security ahead of the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through requests to remove government job quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader 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 trial.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations told press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for both nations. Authorities have sought her return but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

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

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

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased 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 subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this state."

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

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

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he stated.