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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity due to her crackdown on student-led protests which led to her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had requested severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security ahead of the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative Jisanul Haque told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader verified by media examinations earlier this year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those killed during the protests informed press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

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

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

She alerted last month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the vote.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but to date India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am sad," he continued.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed news organizations. "Both she and the organization has apologised or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this country."

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

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with the former leader and the old leadership," he said.