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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for atrocities stemming from her severe measures on student-led protests which led to her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the unrest during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the special international tribunal 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, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had requested severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection prior to the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the authorities' representative informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising during 2024 commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations in previous months implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest informed press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

After her departure, an temporary leadership led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the vote.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am sad," he continued.

The previous week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her former home minister and police chief.

While the sentence grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this state."

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

"We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for her party 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 Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.