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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity stemming from her severe measures on student-led protests which led to her forced departure.

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

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had requested tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through requests to remove state employment quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews during the current year implied she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Following her removal, an interim government led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the vote.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for both nations. Authorities have sought her repatriation but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

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

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

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her former home minister and security forces head.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

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

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

"We work with multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with the former leader and the old leadership," he stated.