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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity stemming from her severe measures on student-led protests which led to her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the unrest last year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had called for tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, Hasina said the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection ahead of the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and celebrating as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative Jisanul Haque informed media outlets.

The student-led uprising last year began with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of further participants, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader verified by investigative sources earlier this year indicated she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those killed during the protests informed media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

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".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their souls."

After her departure, an interim government headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the ballot.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; which is why I am disheartened," he added.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her ex-interior minister and police chief.

While the sentence offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this country."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not resolution for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We work with several people who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.