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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for atrocities due to her severe measures on youth demonstrations which led to her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the disturbances last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and celebrating 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 period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official Jisanul Haque informed press agencies.

The student-led uprising in the previous year started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews in previous months indicated she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those killed during the protests informed news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

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

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

Following her removal, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has expressed no readiness to agree.

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

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; which is why I am disappointed," he stated further.

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

Hasina was tried alongside her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to news organizations. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

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

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not finality for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with the former leader and the previous administration," he said.