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

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people died during the turmoil in the previous year.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted 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 wounded had requested tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards before the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to 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 protest movement led by students in the previous year began with calls to eliminate government job quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of further participants, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader verified by media examinations in previous months suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

A different family member, 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 find peace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

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

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to press agencies. "The leader and her faction has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this state."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not resolution for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We assist numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.