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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for atrocities stemming from her crackdown on protests led by students which resulted in her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people died during the turmoil in the previous year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted all charges, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and injured had demanded severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection prior to the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative Jisanul Haque told media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt last year commenced through requests to remove state employment quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of further participants, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by media examinations earlier this year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations told media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

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

She alerted last month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her return but to date India has expressed no readiness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disappointed," he added.

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

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

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to press agencies. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this state."

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

"We work with several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

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