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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity due to her harsh response on youth demonstrations which resulted in her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Families of those killed and harmed had called for severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration'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 do not fear to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection prior to the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson told media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of others, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by media examinations earlier this year implied she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those killed during the protests informed news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

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

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was prohibited 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 imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. Authorities have sought her repatriation but to date India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; which is why I am sad," he continued.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her ex-interior minister 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 anger against Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to news organizations. "Both she and the organization has apologised or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

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 penalty was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We support several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Hasina and the previous administration," he said.