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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 led to her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil in the previous year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was proud of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the police spokesperson stated to news organizations.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by investigative sources during the current year indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those who died in the demonstrations told media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, 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 her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; which is why I am sad," he continued.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not finality for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

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

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

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