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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for human rights violations stemming from her severe measures on protests led by students which resulted in her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the disturbances during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, Hasina said the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was content of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and cheering as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a recent spike in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the police spokesperson informed press agencies.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by media examinations in previous months indicated she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations told news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

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

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

Following her removal, an caretaker administration under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is set for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned last month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but to date India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; which is why I am sad," he added.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not finality for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We work with several people who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he said.