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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 caused her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom were killed during the unrest during 2024.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had called for tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was content of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, kin of those killed during the protests stated to press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died 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 obtain solace in their souls."

After her departure, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her return but to date India has shown no willingness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disheartened," he added.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her ex-interior minister and police chief.

While the sentence offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has apologised or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this nation."

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

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

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

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with the former leader and the previous administration," he expressed.