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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity due to her harsh response on youth demonstrations which led to her removal from power.

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

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had requested tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and cheering as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a sudden increase in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by investigative sources during the current year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest informed 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 "severe penalty" 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".

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

After her departure, an caretaker administration under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the ballot.

This decision presents a international dilemma for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her 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 disheartened," he stated further.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not resolution for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from the former leader and the old leadership," he stated.