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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity stemming from her harsh response on student-led protests which caused her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the disturbances last year.

Hasina was tried 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.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had requested severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, Hasina said the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her government's record on human rights.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection before the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the authorities' representative informed press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish state employment quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by external reviews in previous months suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations informed media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the election.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but so far India has shown no willingness to agree.

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

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disappointed," he added.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this country."

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

"We assist several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

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