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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for human rights violations due to her harsh response on youth demonstrations which led to her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the disturbances in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Families of those killed and wounded had demanded strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and cheering as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The student-led uprising during 2024 commenced through requests to remove government job quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of others, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by investigative sources during the current year suggested she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest told 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 her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

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

Nevertheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted last month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the election.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has shown no willingness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; for that reason I am sad," he stated further.

Recently, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her former home minister and police chief.

While the sentence grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not resolution for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

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

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.