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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her harsh response on student-led protests which caused her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the unrest during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

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

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had demanded severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, Hasina said the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and cheering as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the authorities' representative stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising during 2024 began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by investigative sources earlier this year implied she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those killed during the protests 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 the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. Authorities have sought her repatriation but so far India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

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

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult 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 relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.