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

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had demanded tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and cheering as the judgment was announced.

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

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative informed press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by investigative sources during the current year suggested she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, family members of those who died in the demonstrations told press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the election.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her return but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disappointed," he continued.

Recently, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

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

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital told news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not finality for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with the former leader and the old leadership," he expressed.