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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for human rights violations due to her harsh response on youth demonstrations which caused her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the turmoil in the previous year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had requested strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

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

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a notable rise in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative stated to news organizations.

The protest movement led by students last year started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations during the current year implied she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

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

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Following her removal, an interim government headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the vote.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disappointed," he added.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this nation."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not resolution for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from the former leader and the previous administration," he stated.