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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity due to her harsh response on youth demonstrations which caused her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people died during the unrest last year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Families of those killed and injured had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and cheering as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations in previous months implied she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those killed during the protests stated to media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

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

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

After her departure, an temporary leadership headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

She alerted last month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her return but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disheartened," he stated further.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist told press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not closure for the families of those killed and injured.

"We work with multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, 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 even more difficult" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.