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

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil during 2024.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted all charges, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had requested strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the death penalty 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 human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

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

The city has seen a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson stated to news organizations.

The student-led uprising last year started with requests to remove state employment quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated by media examinations in previous months suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those killed during the protests told media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

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

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Following her removal, an interim government headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

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

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital informed press agencies. "Both she and the organization has apologised or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."

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

"We assist multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.