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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for atrocities over her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom were killed during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had requested strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

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

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative told media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by investigative sources in previous months suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those killed during the protests told media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the election.

This decision presents a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

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

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am sad," he continued.

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told news organizations. "The leader and her faction has apologised or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not finality for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We support multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, 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 country's governance system again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with the former leader and the former hierarchy," he stated.