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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for atrocities stemming from her crackdown on protests led by students which caused her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people died during the unrest last year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Families of those killed and harmed had demanded severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

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

The protest movement led by students during 2024 started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by investigative sources earlier this year implied she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest told media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

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

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

Following her removal, an temporary leadership headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the election.

This decision presents a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has expressed no readiness to agree.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disappointed," he added.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

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

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the Awami League has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

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

The advocate continued that the penalty was not closure for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. 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 even more difficult" for the political faction to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with the former leader and the former hierarchy," he said.