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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for atrocities stemming from her harsh response on youth demonstrations which caused her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people died during the turmoil in the previous year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had requested strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection prior to the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a recent spike in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the police spokesperson stated to news organizations.

The student-led uprising last year started with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by media examinations in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the election.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but until now India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disappointed," he added.

The previous week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

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 fury directed at Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this state."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not closure for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.