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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity stemming from her harsh response on youth demonstrations which resulted in her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Families of those killed and injured had requested severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and cheering as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the authorities' representative stated to press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by external reviews in previous months indicated she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest told press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" 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 "executed before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned during the past 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. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am sad," he stated further.

Last week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

While the sentence offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist told press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this country."

The activist added that the punishment was not closure for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We assist several people who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.