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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity stemming from her crackdown on youth demonstrations which resulted in her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom were killed during the disturbances last year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the authorities' representative stated to press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt last year commenced through demands to abolish state employment 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 constitute "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by external reviews during the current year suggested she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest informed press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

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

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the ballot.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am sad," he continued.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this nation."

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

"We support several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.