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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity stemming from her crackdown on youth demonstrations which caused her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the disturbances in the previous year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her government's record on human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards before the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a sudden increase in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative Jisanul Haque stated to press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews during the current year suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those who died in the demonstrations told news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

After her departure, an interim government under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the election.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but until now India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am sad," he stated further.

Last week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

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

"We assist numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with the former leader and the previous administration," he stated.