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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity due to her severe measures on youth demonstrations which led to her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had requested strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards before the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative stated to media outlets.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 started with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by external reviews in previous months implied she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests stated to media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

After her departure, an caretaker administration headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is planned for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the vote.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but until now India has shown no willingness 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; that's why I am disheartened," he continued.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her ex-interior minister and police chief.

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

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

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

"We assist numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.