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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for atrocities stemming from her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the disturbances during 2024.

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

The prosecution alleged of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had called for tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated 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 do not fear to face my accusers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a recent spike in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson told media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt last year commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations told media representatives 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 her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

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

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their souls."

After her departure, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the vote.

This decision presents a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but so far India has shown no willingness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

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

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this nation."

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

"We assist several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.