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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for human rights violations due to her severe measures on protests led by students which resulted in her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the turmoil in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The student-led uprising in the previous year commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by investigative sources during the current year implied she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

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

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

After her departure, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the vote.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her return but until now India has shown no willingness to agree.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disappointed," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her former home minister and security forces head.

While the sentence offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this state."

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

"We support several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.