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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for human rights violations due to her severe measures on youth demonstrations which caused her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the disturbances last year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had requested strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security prior to the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the verdict was read.

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

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the authorities' representative told news organizations.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 began with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those killed during the protests informed media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

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 misused their authority".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

After her departure, an temporary leadership led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the vote.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

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

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to news organizations. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not closure for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.