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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for atrocities stemming from her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the unrest in the previous year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had demanded tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the authorities' representative informed press agencies.

The protest movement led by students last year began with demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those who died in the demonstrations stated to news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

After her departure, an interim government headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is set for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has shown no willingness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disheartened," he added.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

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

"The anger against the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this country."

The activist added that the penalty was not closure for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We support several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

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