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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity stemming from her harsh response on youth demonstrations which resulted in her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom were killed during the turmoil in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and harmed had demanded strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her government's record on human rights.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security ahead of the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by investigative sources earlier this year suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, family members of those who died in the demonstrations informed news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

After her departure, an interim government under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the vote.

This decision presents a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but until now India has shown no willingness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disappointed," he continued.

The previous week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the her political party has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this state."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We assist several people who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from the former leader and the previous administration," he said.