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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her crackdown on protests led by students which resulted in her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the unrest in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection before the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and applauding as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a sudden increase in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by investigative sources in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests informed press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the election.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her repatriation but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

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

Last week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist told media outlets. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this state."

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

"We assist multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from the former leader and the old leadership," he said.