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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity stemming from her crackdown on youth demonstrations which caused her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the disturbances during 2024.

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

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

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

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson told news organizations.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 commenced through calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources in previous months implied she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations told media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

After her departure, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her repatriation but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disheartened," he continued.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out 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.

While the sentence offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."

The activist added that the sentence was not resolution for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

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