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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her harsh response on student-led protests which caused her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and wounded had requested strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection prior to the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration 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.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 began with calls to eliminate government job quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews during the current year suggested she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; which is why I am disappointed," he stated further.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her former home minister and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this state."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not closure for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. 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 regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with the former leader and the previous administration," he stated.