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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for human rights violations due to her severe measures on youth demonstrations which led to her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had demanded strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her government's record on human rights.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection ahead of the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year started with demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by media examinations during the current year implied she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

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

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government 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, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disheartened," he added.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her former home minister and security forces head.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital informed news organizations. "Both she and the organization has apologised or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this state."

The activist added that the penalty was not closure for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We work with numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with the former leader and the old leadership," he expressed.