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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity over her harsh response on student-led protests which caused her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom were killed during the unrest in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia 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 the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, she expressed the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards before the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative Jisanul Haque stated to press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with requests to remove state employment quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews during the current year indicated she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

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

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

After her departure, an caretaker administration under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the election.

This decision presents a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has shown no willingness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disheartened," he added.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this nation."

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

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.