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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for human rights violations over her crackdown on youth demonstrations which resulted in her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had called for tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, she expressed the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year began with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of others, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations informed press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

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

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

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

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the ballot.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; that's why I am sad," he continued.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to news organizations. "The leader and her faction 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 punishment was not resolution for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We work with multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he said.