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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity stemming from her crackdown on student-led protests which caused her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted all charges, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, Hasina said the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by investigative sources in previous months implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the vote.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her repatriation but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; that's why I am disheartened," he added.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."

The activist added that the punishment was not resolution for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We work with numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Hasina and the previous administration," he said.