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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity over her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and cheering as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The student-led uprising last year began with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader verified by media examinations during the current year implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Before the decision, family members of those killed during the protests informed media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their souls."

After her departure, an temporary leadership under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the vote.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; that's why I am sad," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her former home minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the her political party has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this nation."

The activist added that the penalty was not closure for the families of those killed and injured.

"We work with several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.