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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on protests led by students which resulted in her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had called for tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security ahead of the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a notable rise in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative told news organizations.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year started with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by investigative sources during the current year indicated she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests stated to media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured 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 find peace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the ballot.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her return but until now India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disappointed," he stated further.

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

Hasina was tried alongside her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Although the punishment offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist told media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this state."

The activist added that the punishment was not finality for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with the former leader and the previous administration," he expressed.