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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for atrocities over her severe measures on youth demonstrations which led to her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the unrest during 2024.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

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

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque informed media outlets.

The student-led uprising in the previous year started with requests to remove state employment quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by investigative sources during the current year indicated she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those killed during the protests stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her former home minister and police chief.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this state."

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

"We assist numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.