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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for atrocities stemming from her crackdown on youth demonstrations which resulted in her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the disturbances in the previous year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

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

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had requested tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

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

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by investigative sources in previous months suggested she had approved 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 told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

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

Following her removal, an caretaker administration led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political 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 imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disheartened," he stated further.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her former home minister and police chief.

While the sentence offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the her political party has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

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

The activist added that the penalty was not closure for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.