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

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom were killed during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection before the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 began with requests to remove government job quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources earlier this year indicated she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Before the decision, kin of those killed during the protests told media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

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

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

After her departure, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but until now India has expressed no readiness to agree.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am sad," he added.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told news organizations. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this nation."

The activist added that the punishment was not finality for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he stated.