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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for human rights violations stemming from her severe measures on protests led by students which caused her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the turmoil in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, she expressed the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection before the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque informed news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt last year started with requests to remove government job quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of others, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by external reviews earlier this year indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

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

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

After her departure, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

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

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The anger against the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told news organizations. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this nation."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not finality for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with several people who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he said.