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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for atrocities over her harsh response on youth demonstrations which led to her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted all charges, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Families of those killed and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

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

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative told media outlets.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest told media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the vote.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her return but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

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

Last week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence grants partial finality 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 civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told press agencies. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this country."

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

"We work with numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Hasina and the previous administration," he said.