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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her severe measures on youth demonstrations which resulted in her ousting.

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

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had requested strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection before the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and applauding as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official Jisanul Haque informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 began with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "crimes against humanity".

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

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest told media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

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

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was prohibited 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 forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the election.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. Authorities have sought her repatriation but to date India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disappointed," he stated further.

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to news organizations. "Both she and the organization has apologised or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

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

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not finality for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he said.