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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for human rights violations over her harsh response on youth demonstrations which led to her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the disturbances in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had requested strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, she expressed the capital punishment 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 individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and cheering as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a sudden increase in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the authorities' representative stated to press agencies.

The protest movement led by students last year began with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by investigative sources during the current year suggested she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Before the decision, relatives of those killed during the protests informed media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the ballot.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disappointed," he stated further.

Last week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

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

Even though the verdict offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed press agencies. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this state."

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

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.