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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity stemming from her severe measures on youth demonstrations which led to her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the turmoil last year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and cheering as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the police spokesperson informed media outlets.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "crimes against humanity".

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

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by investigative sources in previous months suggested she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest informed press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the ballot.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

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

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; that's 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 in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist told press agencies. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this state."

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

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with the former leader and the previous administration," he stated.