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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her crackdown on youth demonstrations which resulted in her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and harmed had demanded strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, Hasina said the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque informed media outlets.

The student-led uprising during 2024 began with demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader verified by external reviews in previous months indicated she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, family members of those who died in the demonstrations told news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

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".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

After her departure, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is set for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the vote.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am sad," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has apologised or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

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

"We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive 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 her party to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.