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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for human rights violations over her harsh response on student-led protests which caused her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom were killed during the turmoil during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had requested tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The capital, 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 cheering as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the authorities' representative informed news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews during the current year indicated she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest informed media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

After her departure, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the vote.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

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

Last week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this state."

The activist added that the punishment was not resolution for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We assist numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, 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 normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he expressed.