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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for human rights violations stemming from her crackdown on protests led by students which resulted in her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil in the previous year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had called for tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, she expressed the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by external reviews in previous months indicated she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those killed during the protests informed news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

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

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

After her departure, an temporary leadership led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her repatriation but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disappointed," he added.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital told news organizations. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this country."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not resolution for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

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