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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for atrocities stemming from her crackdown on student-led protests which caused her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people died during the disturbances in the previous year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and harmed had requested severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through calls to eliminate government job quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews during the current year implied she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those killed during the protests told news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the vote.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disappointed," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her former home minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital informed news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not resolution for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.