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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity stemming from her harsh response on protests led by students which resulted in her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

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

The prosecution alleged of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation 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 tightened security ahead of the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and cheering as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative Jisanul Haque informed press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by investigative sources earlier this year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

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

Following her removal, an interim government under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her repatriation but until now India has shown no willingness to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disappointed," he added.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her former home minister and police chief.

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

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or shown any remorse 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 closure for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.