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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on youth demonstrations which resulted in her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the disturbances in the previous year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, she expressed the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection before the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader verified by external reviews earlier this year implied she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest informed press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the ballot.

This decision presents a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but so far India has shown no willingness to agree.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; which is why I am sad," he added.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this country."

The activist added that the punishment was not closure for the families of those killed and injured.

"We work with numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from the former leader and the old leadership," he expressed.