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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity due to her crackdown on protests led by students which resulted in her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had called for strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on human rights.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection prior to the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the police spokesperson informed news organizations.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through requests to remove government job quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the intentional injuring of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by investigative sources earlier this year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those killed during the protests informed media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

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

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

After her departure, an caretaker administration headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

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

She alerted during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the election.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; that's why I am disheartened," he continued.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told media outlets. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this country."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not closure for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon 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 the political faction to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

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