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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for human rights violations over her crackdown on youth demonstrations which led to her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the unrest last year.

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

Prosecutors accused her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had called for severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was proud of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative stated to media outlets.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 started with requests to remove government job quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of others, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations earlier this year suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, family members of those who died in the demonstrations stated to press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for both nations. Authorities have sought her repatriation but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; that's why I am disappointed," he continued.

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

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

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

"The resentment towards the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital informed news organizations. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this state."

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

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

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Hasina and the previous administration," he said.