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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity over her severe measures on student-led protests which resulted in her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the disturbances in the previous year.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the authorities' representative informed news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt last year commenced through demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated by media examinations in previous months suggested she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations informed press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

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

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

After her departure, an interim government under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but to date India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

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

Last week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

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

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this state."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not finality for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.