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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for human rights violations stemming from her severe measures on youth demonstrations which resulted in her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had demanded tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection prior to the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative told press agencies.

The student-led uprising last year began with calls to eliminate government job quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the intentional injuring of further participants, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those killed during the protests told news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

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

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

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the election.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am sad," he continued.

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this state."

The activist added that the penalty was not resolution for the families of those who died and were wounded.

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

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Hasina and the old leadership," he said.