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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for atrocities stemming from her harsh response on youth demonstrations which resulted in her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had called for strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards prior to the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson told media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt last year commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest told news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her return but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disheartened," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this nation."

The activist added that the sentence was not closure for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

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