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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations stemming from her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her forced departure.

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

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had requested strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a notable rise in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by investigative sources during the current year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

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

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their souls."

After her departure, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned last month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the election.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

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

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital informed press agencies. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this country."

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

"We support multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.