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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for atrocities stemming from her harsh response on protests led by students which resulted in her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the unrest last year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and injured had requested tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration'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 facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official Jisanul Haque told press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations earlier this year implied she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest informed news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

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

Following her removal, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the election.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but until now India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; which is why I am sad," he stated further.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this state."

The activist added that the penalty was not resolution for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, 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 standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.