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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 resulted in her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people died during the unrest in the previous year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had requested strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

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

The youth-driven revolt last year commenced through demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of further participants, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews earlier this year implied she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Before the decision, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

After her departure, an interim government headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the election.

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

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

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

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty 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 cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with the former leader and the old leadership," he stated.