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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity due to her severe measures on youth demonstrations which resulted in her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom died during the disturbances in the previous year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted all charges, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and injured had demanded strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security ahead of the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and cheering as the sentence was declared.

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

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque informed press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish state employment quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations during the current year suggested she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those killed during the protests told news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

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

However, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the election.

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 agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disappointed," he continued.

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

While the sentence grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this nation."

The activist added that the sentence was not closure for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he expressed.