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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity due to her harsh response on student-led protests which resulted in her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and harmed had requested strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, she expressed the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and celebrating as the verdict was read.

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

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year began with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations informed media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

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

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the ballot.

This decision presents a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but to date India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disheartened," he stated further.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

While the sentence offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist told news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."

The activist added that the sentence was not closure for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with several people who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Hasina and the previous administration," he said.