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

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom were killed during the turmoil during 2024.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Families of those killed and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, she expressed the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with demands to abolish government job quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of further participants, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by media examinations during the current year indicated she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests informed news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" 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 "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Following her removal, an interim government under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

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

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the ballot.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has shown no willingness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; that's why I am disheartened," he stated further.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her former home minister and security forces head.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist told press agencies. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not resolution for the families 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 journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

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