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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh 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 allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom were killed during the turmoil in the previous year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted all charges, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had demanded severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was proud of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards ahead of the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated by media examinations during the current year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

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

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

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

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disheartened," he added.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

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

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this country."

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

"We assist multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.