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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity stemming from her crackdown on protests led by students which caused her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom were killed during the disturbances during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had demanded strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her government's record on individual freedoms.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a sudden increase in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the authorities' representative told media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with requests to remove government job quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews in previous months suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those who died in the demonstrations stated to media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

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

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

After her departure, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

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

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; which is why I am disheartened," he continued.

The previous week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed news organizations. "The leader and her faction has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this country."

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

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from the former leader and the old leadership," he stated.