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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity due to her harsh response on student-led protests which resulted in her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Families of those killed and harmed had called for strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards ahead of the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson informed news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by external reviews during the current year implied she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations told media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

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

Following her removal, an interim government headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but until now India has shown no willingness to agree.

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

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

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

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

"We assist several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. 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 increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.