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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for human rights violations due to her severe measures on youth demonstrations which led to her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the unrest in the previous year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had demanded strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the execution sentence 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 have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards before the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded 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, regional security representative Jisanul Haque informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with demands to abolish state employment quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by investigative sources during the current year indicated she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

A different family member, 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 relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

She alerted last month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

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

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this nation."

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

"We assist several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.