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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her severe measures on youth demonstrations which resulted in her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had requested strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, Hasina said the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was proud of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and cheering as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a recent spike in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the authorities' representative stated to press agencies.

The protest movement led by students last year began with requests to remove state employment 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 firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by media examinations earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations told media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is set for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the election.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her return but until now India has expressed no readiness to agree.

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

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disappointed," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her former home minister and police chief.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the her political party has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this country."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not resolution for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.