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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for human rights violations due to her severe measures on youth demonstrations which led to her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent 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 the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative Jisanul Haque stated to press agencies.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader verified by external reviews earlier this year indicated she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those who died in the demonstrations informed press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned 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.

This decision presents a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has expressed no readiness to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain 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 stated further.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not resolution for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist several people who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. 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 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 distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he said.