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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity due to her harsh response on protests led by students which caused her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the turmoil in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had requested tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her government's record on human rights.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and applauding as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official Jisanul Haque informed press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations earlier this 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, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest told media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the election.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but to date India has expressed no readiness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; which is why I am disappointed," he continued.

Last week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this country."

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

"We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.