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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 ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the disturbances in the previous year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

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

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and injured had requested strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative Jisanul Haque informed press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners 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 a number of activists, the intentional injuring of further participants, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews earlier this year implied she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those killed during the protests told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

After her departure, an caretaker administration under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is set for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the election.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

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

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told news organizations. "The leader and her faction has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

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

The activist added that the sentence was not finality for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We assist several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. 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 increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.