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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity stemming from her crackdown on youth demonstrations which resulted in her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Court 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 multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Families of those killed and injured had requested tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was content of her government's record on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with demands to abolish government job quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by external reviews earlier this year indicated she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, family members of those killed during the protests told media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

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

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her former home minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed press agencies. "Both she and the organization has apologised or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not resolution for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We support several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" 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 Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.