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

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

The trial proceeded in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Families of those killed and wounded had requested tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the police spokesperson informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year began with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader confirmed by investigative sources earlier this year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

Another relative, whose husband was killed 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 find peace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the election.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am sad," he added.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

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

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.