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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity stemming from her harsh response on student-led protests which led to her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom were killed during the disturbances in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had called for strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official Jisanul Haque stated to press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 started with requests to remove state employment quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by investigative sources during the current year implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those killed during the protests stated to press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

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

However, 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 party's candidates were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disappointed," he stated further.

Last week, 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 alongside her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The anger against the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not finality for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, 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 standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with the former leader and the former hierarchy," he expressed.