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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity stemming from her severe measures on protests led by students which caused her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom died during the turmoil during 2024.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and harmed had called for strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a sudden increase in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official Jisanul Haque told media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with requests to remove government job quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of others, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations during the current year implied she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations 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 "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds 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".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their souls."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration led by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am sad," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

While the sentence offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not closure for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We work with multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.