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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 forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security ahead of the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year commenced through requests to remove government job quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews in previous months suggested she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose partner was fatally injured 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 find peace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

She alerted last month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am sad," he added.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to press agencies. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this state."

The activist added that the sentence was not closure for the kin of those killed and injured.

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

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

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