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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for human rights violations over her severe measures on youth demonstrations which led to her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger 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 execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection prior to the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the authorities' representative stated to news organizations.

The student-led uprising last year began with demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources in previous months suggested she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those killed during the protests told news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

After her departure, an temporary leadership headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her return but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disheartened," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her former home minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

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

"We assist several people who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for the political faction 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 former hierarchy," he said.