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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for human rights violations due to her harsh response on youth demonstrations which resulted in her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the turmoil in the previous year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Families of those killed and wounded had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

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

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection before the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the police spokesperson informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year started with requests to remove state employment quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Before the decision, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

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

Following her removal, an interim government under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the election.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her return but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; that's why I am disappointed," he continued.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told news organizations. "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 country."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not finality for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from the former leader and the old leadership," he stated.