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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 caused her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, she expressed the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards ahead of the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative Jisanul Haque informed press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 began with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by media examinations earlier this year indicated she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations informed press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

After her departure, an interim government under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned last month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her return but so far India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; which is why I am disheartened," he added.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her former home minister and security forces head.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this state."

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

"We support multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.