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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for human rights violations due to her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil during 2024.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had demanded severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection prior to the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque informed news organizations.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by external reviews earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

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

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

After her departure, an interim government under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the vote.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

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

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

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not finality for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We assist several people who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.