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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her crackdown on youth demonstrations which caused her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the disturbances during 2024.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official Jisanul Haque stated to press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt last year started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by external reviews during the current year suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest informed press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" 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 "implemented before the election".

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

After her departure, an interim government led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the election.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. Authorities have sought her repatriation but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am sad," he continued.

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this nation."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not resolution for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We work with numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he expressed.