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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the unrest during 2024.

Hasina was tried without her presence 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 responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had demanded strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a notable rise in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the authorities' representative stated to press agencies.

The student-led uprising in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by investigative sources during the current year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those killed during the protests informed press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

Another relative, 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".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

After her departure, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her return but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disheartened," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this country."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not resolution for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, 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 particularly hard" for her party to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with the former leader and the previous administration," he said.