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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for atrocities due to her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the disturbances in the previous year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her government's record on civil liberties.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a sudden increase in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the police spokesperson informed press agencies.

The protest movement led by students last year began with calls to eliminate government job quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "violations of human dignity".

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

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by external reviews during the current year indicated she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those killed during the protests told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

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

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Following her removal, an interim government headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is set for February 2026.

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

She alerted during the past month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but to date India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

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

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting 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.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this nation."

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

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon 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 standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from the former leader and the old leadership," he stated.