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The country's previous leader has been sentenced to death for human rights violations due to her severe measures on student-led protests which caused her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the turmoil during 2024.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had called for severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her government's record on human rights.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection ahead of the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative Jisanul Haque stated to media outlets.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year commenced through requests to remove government job quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations during the current year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those killed during the protests informed news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

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

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

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

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this country."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not resolution for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.