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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for atrocities due to her severe measures on student-led protests which caused her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom were killed during the disturbances in the previous year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on civil liberties.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection before the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and cheering as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

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

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through calls to eliminate government job quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader verified by media examinations earlier this year implied she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

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

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the election.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but until now India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; that's why I am sad," he continued.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her former home minister and police chief.

Although the punishment offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to press agencies. "The leader and her faction has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not resolution for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.