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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for atrocities stemming from her crackdown on youth demonstrations which caused her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom died during the disturbances in the previous year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and harmed had demanded strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was content of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a sudden increase in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations in previous months implied she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those who died in the demonstrations informed press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disappointed," he added.

The previous week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed news organizations. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not finality for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We support multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon 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 normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.