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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for atrocities stemming from her harsh response on protests led by students which resulted in her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom died during the turmoil in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had requested severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on human rights.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards before the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and cheering as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson informed press agencies.

The protest movement led by students last year began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the intentional injuring of further participants, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

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 trial.

Before the decision, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest told press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted last month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her repatriation but to date India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; which is why I am disappointed," he stated further.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this country."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not resolution for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We support multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League 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 Hasina and the old leadership," he said.