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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity stemming from her severe measures on protests led by students which led to her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people died during the turmoil during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had requested tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and cheering as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the police spokesperson informed press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt last year commenced through demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations in previous months implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those who died in the demonstrations told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

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

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her return but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disappointed," he continued.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

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

Although the punishment grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at 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 apologised or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not finality for the kin of those killed and injured.

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

A journalist, 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 standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.