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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity over her harsh response on youth demonstrations which caused her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the disturbances in the previous year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and injured had called for strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection prior to the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising during 2024 began with calls to eliminate government job quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by external reviews in previous months implied she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest told news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured 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 families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

After her departure, an interim government headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the ballot.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am sad," he stated further.

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her former home minister and security forces head.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this nation."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not finality for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he expressed.