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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for human rights violations over her crackdown on youth demonstrations which led to her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the disturbances last year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had requested strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security prior to the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative Jisanul Haque told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 started with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of others, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by media examinations during the current year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those killed during the protests informed press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

After her departure, an caretaker administration under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disheartened," he continued.

Last week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction 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 do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this country."

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

"We work with numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for Awami League 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 Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.