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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for atrocities due to her harsh response on student-led protests which resulted in her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people died during the turmoil in the previous year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind hundreds of killings 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. Next of kin of victims and wounded had requested strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising last year commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations 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 proceedings.

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

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an interim government under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the election.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

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

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist told news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this nation."

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

"We support several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with the former leader and the old leadership," he said.