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

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the disturbances last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities 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 injured had called for severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

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

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security before the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque stated to news organizations.

The student-led uprising last year started with calls to eliminate government job quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of others, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by investigative sources earlier this year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations told media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Following her removal, an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned last month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the ballot.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disheartened," he added.

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

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

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

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not finality for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.