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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity over her severe measures on protests led by students which led to her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the disturbances last year.

Hasina was tried 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 the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had requested severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her government's record on human rights.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by investigative sources in previous months suggested she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, relatives of those killed during the protests told news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the vote.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her return but until now India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."

The activist added that the sentence was not closure for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We support several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with the former leader and the former hierarchy," he stated.