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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for human rights violations stemming from her harsh response on youth demonstrations which caused her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people died during the turmoil in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had called for tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the police spokesperson told media outlets.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 commenced through requests to remove government job quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews during the current year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those who died in the demonstrations told press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

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

After her departure, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her return but to date India has expressed no readiness to agree.

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

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disappointed," he continued.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

While the sentence offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this state."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We work with several people who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he stated.