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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for human rights violations due to her crackdown on student-led protests which caused her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection before the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and applauding as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a sudden increase in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

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

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 began with demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by investigative sources in previous months indicated she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests informed press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

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

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; that's why I am sad," he added.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her former home minister and police chief.

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 Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this state."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We assist several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he stated.