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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for atrocities stemming from her severe measures on protests led by students which led to her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the disturbances during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

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

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had called for strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was content of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced 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 noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the authorities' representative stated to news organizations.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by media examinations during the current year implied she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest told news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

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

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the election.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her return but to date India has expressed no readiness to comply.

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

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disheartened," he stated further.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

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

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist told press agencies. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not resolution for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.