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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for atrocities due to her severe measures on protests led by students which led to her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the disturbances last year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, Hasina said the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security prior to the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official Jisanul Haque stated to media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 started with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations earlier this year indicated she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those killed during the protests stated to news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

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

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

After her departure, an temporary leadership headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

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

She alerted in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her return but so far India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disappointed," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "Both she and the organization has apologised or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this country."

The activist added that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Hasina and the previous administration," he said.