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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on protests led by students which caused her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the turmoil in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted 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 the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in disturbances, 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 no victims identified, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque stated to press agencies.

The student-led uprising last year began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest informed press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" 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 Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

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

After her departure, an interim government under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has shown no willingness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this state."

The activist added that the punishment was not finality for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We support numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he expressed.