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

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people 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 following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and injured had requested strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was content of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the authorities' representative stated to press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt last year commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews in previous months indicated she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, relatives of those killed during the protests stated to media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, 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 abused their power".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

After her departure, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the ballot.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; that's why I am sad," he stated further.

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The anger against the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed news organizations. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not closure for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist several people who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.