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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for human rights violations stemming from her harsh response on student-led protests which led to her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the unrest in the previous year.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, Hasina said the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was content of her government's record on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of further participants, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by investigative sources earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those who died in the demonstrations informed news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead 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 husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their souls."

After her departure, an interim government under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is planned for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the vote.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has shown no willingness to agree.

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

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disappointed," he continued.

Recently, 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.

Hasina was tried alongside her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital informed press agencies. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this state."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not resolution for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

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

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he said.