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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for human rights violations due to her crackdown on youth demonstrations which resulted in her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the unrest in the previous year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Families of those killed and harmed had requested severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her government's record on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards ahead of the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the verdict was read.

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

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the police spokesperson informed news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt last year started with requests to remove government job quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews during the current year indicated she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

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 abused their power".

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

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Following her removal, an interim government headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, 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 her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disappointed," he continued.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the Awami League has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not closure for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We work with multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he expressed.