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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity over her harsh response on student-led protests which resulted in her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the disturbances last year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had requested strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, Hasina said the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and cheering as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a recent spike in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews earlier this year implied she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest told media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions 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 "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disappointed," he stated further.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this country."

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

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

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.