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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for human rights violations over her harsh response on youth demonstrations which caused her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom were killed during the disturbances during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection prior to the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year began with demands to abolish state employment quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by external reviews in previous months implied she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations told news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

After her departure, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the election.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

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

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Although the punishment offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this country."

The activist added that the punishment was not closure for the families of those killed and injured.

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

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