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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for atrocities due to her crackdown on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the disturbances during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted all charges, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and cheering as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a sudden increase in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the police spokesperson informed news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 began with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of others, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by investigative sources earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those who died in the demonstrations told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed 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 achieve closure in their souls."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the vote.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disheartened," he added.

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.

The former leader faced trial together with her former home minister and police chief.

While the sentence grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital told news organizations. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The activist added that the punishment was not finality for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We support numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

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