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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity over her harsh response on youth demonstrations which led to her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the unrest in the previous year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

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

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative Jisanul Haque stated to press agencies.

The protest movement led by students last year started with demands to abolish government job quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by investigative sources in previous months implied she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, kin of those killed during the protests told press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

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

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

After her departure, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

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

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her return but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

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

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her former home minister and security forces head.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this country."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not finality for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We support multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.