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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for human rights violations stemming from her harsh response on student-led protests which led to her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom died during the disturbances last year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security ahead of the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with demands to abolish state employment quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by investigative sources in previous months implied she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations told media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her return 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 am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disheartened," he continued.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

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

"We support numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, 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 standard element of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from the former leader and the previous administration," he said.