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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity over her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest in the previous year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had called for severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and cheering as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official Jisanul Haque stated to media outlets.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 began with demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by media examinations in previous months suggested she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Before the decision, family members of those killed during the protests told news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

After her departure, an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is set for February 2026.

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

She alerted last month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the vote.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested 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 decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am sad," he stated further.

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

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the her political party has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told news organizations. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not resolution for the relatives of those killed and injured.

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

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.