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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her severe measures on youth demonstrations which resulted in her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the turmoil in the previous year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and wounded had demanded strict sentences.

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 leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque informed press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of further participants, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by investigative sources earlier this year suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Following her removal, an interim government under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the election.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am sad," he stated further.

Last week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The anger against the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to press agencies. "The leader and her faction has apologised or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this nation."

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

"We work with several people who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.