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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for atrocities stemming from her crackdown on youth demonstrations which caused her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the disturbances 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 after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and injured had demanded tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards ahead of the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the authorities' representative told media outlets.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 commenced through requests to remove government job quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by external reviews during the current year indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest informed media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

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

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disappointed," he added.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her former home minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict 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 the former leader and the Awami League has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this state."

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

"We support numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, 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 Bangladeshi politics again.

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