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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity due to her crackdown on youth demonstrations which resulted in her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the disturbances during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

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

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was proud of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with calls to eliminate government job quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

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

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest told media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, 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 families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted last month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her return but until now India has expressed no readiness to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

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

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her former home minister and security forces head.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

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

The advocate continued that the punishment was not finality for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he said.