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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for human rights violations over her crackdown on youth demonstrations which caused her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had called for severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, she expressed the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was content of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection prior to the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited 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 Jisanul Haque stated to news organizations.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 began with calls to eliminate government job quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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 gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by media examinations earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those killed during the protests told news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

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

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her former home minister and police chief.

Although the punishment offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "Both she and the organization has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

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

The activist added that the punishment was not closure for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We work with several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

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