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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity over 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 lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and cheering as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 commenced through demands to abolish state employment quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by investigative sources earlier this year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their souls."

After her departure, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is set for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disheartened," he continued.

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

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

"The anger against Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist told news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not finality for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist several people who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.