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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 caused her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the unrest during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had requested tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her government's record on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews during the current year suggested she had authorized 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 informed press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

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

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

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

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

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but until now India has shown no willingness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am sad," he continued.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We support numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he said.