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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for human rights violations due to her crackdown on youth demonstrations which led to her removal from power.

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

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had called for strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards ahead of the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 began with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by investigative sources during the current year indicated she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those killed during the protests informed media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others 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 "implemented before the election".

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

Following her removal, an caretaker administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

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

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her repatriation but to date India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; for that reason I am sad," he stated further.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed press agencies. "Both she and the organization has apologised or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not closure for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We assist multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.