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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 student-led protests which led to her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the turmoil in the previous year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Families of those killed and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 started with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by external reviews during the current year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Before the decision, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

After her departure, an interim government led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the vote.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am sad," he stated further.

The previous week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this country."

The activist added that the punishment was not closure for the families of those killed and injured.

"We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.