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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for atrocities due to her crackdown on student-led protests which led to her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security prior to the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official Jisanul Haque told media outlets.

The student-led uprising during 2024 commenced through calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by media examinations earlier this year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest informed press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the election.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has shown no willingness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disappointed," he stated further.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her former home minister and security forces head.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this state."

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

"We support numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he said.