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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity over her harsh response on student-led protests which caused her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the disturbances during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had called for severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection before the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official Jisanul Haque told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with requests to remove government job quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations during the current year suggested she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those killed during the protests 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 Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned last month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the election.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; that's why I am disheartened," he added.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the her political party has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or shown any remorse 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 nation."

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

"We assist several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

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