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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for atrocities stemming from her harsh response on youth demonstrations which led to her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the unrest in the previous year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and harmed had demanded strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

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

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the authorities' representative informed press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by media examinations in previous months suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

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

After her departure, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

She alerted during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but until now India has shown no willingness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disheartened," he continued.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

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

Although the punishment offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist told news organizations. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not resolution for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, 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 standard element of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.