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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on student-led protests which led to her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the turmoil in the previous year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and injured had called for tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, Hasina said the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the authorities' representative told news organizations.

The student-led uprising in the previous year started with requests to remove state employment quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by external reviews earlier this year implied she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, kin of those killed during the protests informed press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

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

After her departure, an temporary leadership led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the ballot.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; that's why I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

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

While the sentence offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital informed news organizations. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this country."

The activist added that the penalty was not finality for the families of those killed and injured.

"We work with multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, 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 even more difficult" for her party to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Hasina and the previous administration," he said.