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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for human rights violations stemming from her harsh response on youth demonstrations which caused her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom died during the disturbances in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and harmed had called for tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, Hasina said the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

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

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security ahead of the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative Jisanul Haque informed press agencies.

The student-led uprising last year started with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of further participants, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews in previous months indicated she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Before the decision, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

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

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is set for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the election.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disheartened," he added.

The previous week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality 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 the former ruling faction has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

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

"We work with several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he said.