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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for atrocities over her harsh response on protests led by students which resulted in her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom were killed during the turmoil last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and harmed had requested strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the police spokesperson told news organizations.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas 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 "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of further participants, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest informed media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

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

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the election.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; that's why I am sad," he continued.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this country."

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

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.