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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for human rights violations over her severe measures on youth demonstrations which led to her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest during 2024.

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.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Families of those killed and injured had called for severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her government's record on individual freedoms.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards before the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising during 2024 began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of others, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews in previous months suggested she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those killed during the protests informed press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

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

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the election.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her return but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; which is why I am disheartened," he stated further.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

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

"The anger against the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "Neither she nor the party 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 nation."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not resolution for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We work with multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.