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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity due to her severe measures on protests led by students which caused her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest in the previous year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the special international tribunal 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. Hasina has denied the entire case, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had requested tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the time before 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 press agencies.

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

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

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by investigative sources in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those who died in the demonstrations told media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

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

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

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her return but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; that's why I am disappointed," he continued.

Last week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

While the sentence offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this state."

The activist added that the punishment was not resolution for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

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