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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for atrocities stemming from her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil during 2024.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty 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 am not afraid to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security ahead of the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and cheering as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative Jisanul Haque stated to news organizations.

The protest movement led by students last year began with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by external reviews during the current year indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

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

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration led by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am sad," he stated further.

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

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

Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist told news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this state."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not closure for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.