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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for atrocities stemming from her harsh response on youth demonstrations which led to her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom were killed during the turmoil last year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Families of those killed and wounded had demanded strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was proud of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and cheering as the sentence was declared.

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

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative Jisanul Haque told media outlets.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year started with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations during the current year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, 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".

Lucky Akther, 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 relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

After her departure, an caretaker administration led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the ballot.

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

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; which is why I am disappointed," he added.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to press agencies. "Both she and the organization has apologised or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

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

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not closure for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We assist multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. 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 even more difficult" for her party to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.