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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for human rights violations due to her severe measures on student-led protests which resulted in her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the unrest last year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had called for strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the authorities' representative told press agencies.

The protest movement led by students last year started with requests to remove government job quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by investigative sources during the current year implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those who died in the demonstrations informed media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the election.

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

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disheartened," he stated further.

Recently, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not finality for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from the former leader and the previous administration," he expressed.