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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity over her harsh response on student-led protests which caused her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people died during the unrest in the previous year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and injured had requested tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the authorities' representative told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year began with calls to eliminate government job quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by media examinations during the current year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those killed during the protests stated to press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, 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 families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Following her removal, an interim government headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the election.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her repatriation but so far India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

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

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the her political party has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to news organizations. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not closure for the families of those killed and injured.

"We support several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he said.