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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for atrocities stemming from her crackdown 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, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil last year.

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 multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and injured had called for strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson told media outlets.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of others, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations informed news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the election.

This decision presents a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but to date India has shown no willingness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; that's why I am sad," he continued.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

While the sentence offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We support numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.