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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for human rights violations due to her crackdown on youth demonstrations which resulted in her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and injured had demanded severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, she expressed the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her government's record on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative Jisanul Haque informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year began with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader verified by external reviews during the current year indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

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

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the vote.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her return but to date India has shown no willingness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disappointed," he stated further.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this state."

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

"We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, 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 "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he said.