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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for human rights violations due to her harsh response on youth demonstrations which caused her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the unrest during 2024.

The trial proceeded in absentia 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 responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted all charges, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had demanded severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, she expressed the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by investigative sources during the current year implied she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those killed during the protests told news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

A different family member, 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 relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government 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 vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

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

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this state."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not resolution for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he said.