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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for atrocities due to her crackdown on youth demonstrations which led to her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom died during the turmoil during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and wounded had requested tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and applauding as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a recent spike in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt last year commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "violations of human dignity".

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

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews in previous months suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations told news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their souls."

After her departure, an caretaker administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the ballot.

This decision presents a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but until now India has shown no willingness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disappointed," he stated further.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her former home minister and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "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 kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We support numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.