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

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the disturbances last year.

Hasina was tried 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 the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection before the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and cheering as the judgment was announced.

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

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the authorities' representative informed press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by media examinations earlier this year indicated she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed 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 achieve closure in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

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

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not resolution for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We assist numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from the former leader and the old leadership," he expressed.