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

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had called for tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, Hasina said the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] 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 confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque told press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year started with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by media examinations during the current year implied she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest told media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

While the sentence offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," 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 "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not closure for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.