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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for atrocities due to her harsh response on protests led by students which caused her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the unrest during 2024.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, she expressed the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection prior to the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in disturbances, 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 zero injuries documented, local police official Jisanul Haque told press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 commenced through calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of further participants, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by investigative sources during the current year implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

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

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

After her departure, an caretaker administration led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is set for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the ballot.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am sad," he stated further.

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told media outlets. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."

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

"We assist multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he said.