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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity stemming from her severe measures on student-led protests which caused her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the unrest in the previous year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, she expressed the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security ahead of the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in unrest, 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 no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by external reviews in previous months indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

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".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the vote.

This decision presents a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am sad," he stated further.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed press agencies. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this state."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not finality for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the old leadership," he said.