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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for atrocities due to her harsh response on youth demonstrations which led to her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was content of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection prior to the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and cheering as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative told media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by external reviews earlier this year implied she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those killed during the protests informed press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

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

Following her removal, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the election.

This decision presents a international dilemma for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has shown no willingness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disheartened," he added.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this country."

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

"We assist several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.