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

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the turmoil in the previous year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

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

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security ahead of the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

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 shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader confirmed by investigative sources earlier this year implied she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, family members of those killed during the protests stated to news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the vote.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but to date India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disappointed," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her former home minister and police chief.

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

"The resentment towards the former leader and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "Both she and the organization has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We assist several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Hasina and the previous administration," he said.