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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her government's record on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards before the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year began with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of further participants, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by external reviews in previous months implied she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, 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 abused their power".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

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

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her return but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

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

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

The activist added that the sentence was not closure for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with the former leader and the previous administration," he expressed.