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

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the disturbances last year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and cheering as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year began with demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by media examinations earlier this year implied she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

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

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

Following her removal, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the election.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her return but to date India has shown no willingness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

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

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital told news organizations. "Both she and the organization has apologised or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this country."

The activist added that the punishment was not finality for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, 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 "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with the former leader and the former hierarchy," he stated.