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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for atrocities over her severe measures on student-led protests which led to her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the disturbances in the previous year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had requested tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews in previous months suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those who died in the demonstrations informed news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her return but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disheartened," he stated further.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital informed press agencies. "Both she and the organization has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this nation."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not finality for the families of those killed and injured.

"We work with multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he said.