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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for human rights violations stemming from her severe measures on protests led by students which led to her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had called for tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the capital punishment was the temporary leadership'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 face my accusers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

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

The city has seen a sudden increase in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative Jisanul Haque stated to press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader verified by external reviews during the current year suggested she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest informed press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

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".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Following her removal, an interim government under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her repatriation but to date India has shown no willingness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disappointed," he continued.

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

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

Although the punishment offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed news organizations. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this nation."

The activist added that the punishment was not finality for the families of those killed and injured.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

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