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

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom were killed during the turmoil last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader verified by external reviews earlier this year implied she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those who died in the demonstrations stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

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

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

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

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the election.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

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

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has apologised or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Hasina and the old leadership," he said.