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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity stemming from her severe measures on student-led protests which resulted in her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom died 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 since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted all charges, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her government's record on human rights.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the authorities' representative told press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year began with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews earlier this year indicated she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, kin of those killed during the protests stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

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

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

After her departure, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the vote.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has shown no willingness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am sad," he stated further.

The previous week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

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

"The resentment towards Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this nation."

The campaigner further stated 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 amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.