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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for atrocities stemming from her severe measures on youth demonstrations which resulted in her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the unrest last year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Families of those killed and harmed had called for strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her government's record on individual freedoms.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection ahead of the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson informed press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by external reviews in previous months indicated she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those who died in the demonstrations told news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

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

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her return but to date India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disappointed," he added.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

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

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed press agencies. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this country."

The activist added that the penalty was not resolution for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.