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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity stemming from her crackdown on youth demonstrations which caused her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil in the previous year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted all charges, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had requested tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her government's record on human rights.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards before the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque told media outlets.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated by media examinations in previous months indicated she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, family members of those who died in the demonstrations stated to media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others 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 "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but to date India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disheartened," he continued.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has apologised or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this state."

The activist added that the punishment was not closure for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he said.