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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity due to her severe measures on student-led protests which resulted in her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile 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 every accusation, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had called for strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection before the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and cheering as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque informed news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year commenced through calls to eliminate government job quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by investigative sources during the current year indicated she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

After her departure, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted last month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the election.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disheartened," he stated further.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

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

Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to press agencies. "The leader and her faction has apologised or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

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

"We support numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

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

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.