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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity due to her harsh response on student-led protests which caused her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the unrest during 2024.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had requested severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, she expressed the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was content of her government's record on civil liberties.

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

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards ahead of the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the authorities' representative stated to media outlets.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader confirmed by investigative sources earlier this year implied she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest told news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

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

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the ballot.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for both nations. Authorities have sought her return but until now India has shown no willingness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disheartened," he stated further.

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her previous domestic affairs official 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 resentment towards the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist told media outlets. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this nation."

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

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Hasina and the old leadership," he said.