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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on youth demonstrations which caused her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest in the previous year.

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.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had requested tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official Jisanul Haque informed press agencies.

The student-led uprising last year commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the intentional injuring of further participants, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by media examinations during the current year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest informed news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has shown no willingness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disheartened," he added.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

While the sentence offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The anger against the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital told news organizations. "Both she and the organization 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 bulk of the population in this country."

The activist added that the sentence was not closure for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the previous administration," he said.