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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity due to her harsh response on youth demonstrations which resulted in her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the unrest in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled 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 the entire case, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection ahead of the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year started with requests to remove government job quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews in previous months indicated she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those killed during the protests told media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned last month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the election.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel 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 disheartened," he continued.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

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

"The anger against Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to press agencies. "The leader and her faction has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this country."

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

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.