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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for atrocities stemming from her crackdown on protests led by students which caused her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the turmoil during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and injured had demanded tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security prior to the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and applauding as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising in the previous year started with demands to abolish government job quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of others, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources in previous months suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those who died in the demonstrations told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. Authorities have sought her repatriation but so far India has expressed no readiness to agree.

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

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disappointed," he continued.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this state."

The activist added that the sentence was not resolution for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.