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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for atrocities stemming from her harsh response on student-led protests which led to her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the turmoil in the previous year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and harmed had called for severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection before the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and cheering as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The student-led uprising last year commenced through requests to remove government job quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by external reviews in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others 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".

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

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

However, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has shown no willingness to agree.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The anger against the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not resolution for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

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