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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her crackdown on youth demonstrations which caused her ousting.

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.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had requested tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was proud of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a sudden increase in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official Jisanul Haque stated to news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with demands to abolish government job quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews in previous months indicated she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest informed press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates 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 Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Following her removal, an interim government headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned last month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her repatriation but until now India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; for that reason I am sad," he continued.

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her former home minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this country."

The activist added that the punishment was not closure for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. 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 Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he said.