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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for human rights violations over her harsh response on youth demonstrations which led to her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil in the previous year.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted all charges, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had demanded severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, Hasina said the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection before the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a notable rise in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the authorities' representative informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising in the previous year started with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by investigative sources in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those who died in the demonstrations stated to media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

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

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

After her departure, an caretaker administration led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; that's why I am sad," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to news organizations. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this country."

The activist added that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We support several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from the former leader and the old leadership," he stated.