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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for human rights violations over her crackdown on youth demonstrations which caused her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the unrest during 2024.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had requested tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a notable rise in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative told press agencies.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through calls to eliminate government job quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest told media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

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

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disheartened," he stated further.

The previous week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

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

"We work with numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.