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

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the unrest in the previous year.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had called for tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, Hasina said the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

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

After her departure, an temporary leadership under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the vote.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but until now India has shown no willingness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disheartened," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her former home minister and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against the former leader and the her political party has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed news organizations. "Both she and the organization has apologised or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not closure for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We assist multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the old leadership," he stated.