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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity due to her crackdown on youth demonstrations which resulted in her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people died during the unrest last year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said 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 administration's performance on human rights.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection before the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and applauding as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a notable rise in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative Jisanul Haque stated to news organizations.

The student-led uprising in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those who died in the demonstrations told news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. Authorities have sought her repatriation 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 decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am sad," he continued.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her former home minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital told news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not finality for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with the former leader and the previous administration," he stated.