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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity due to her severe measures on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest last year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and injured had called for strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, Hasina said 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 civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative Jisanul Haque stated to news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 started with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews in previous months implied she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

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".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is set for February 2026.

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

She alerted during the past month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the vote.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disheartened," he added.

The previous week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

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

The activist added that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.