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

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the disturbances in the previous year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had called for severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by media examinations earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest informed news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

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

However, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for both nations. Authorities have sought her repatriation but until now India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; which is why I am sad," he stated further.

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

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this country."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not closure for the kin of those killed and injured.

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

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with the former leader and the former hierarchy," he expressed.