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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for atrocities due to her harsh response on student-led protests which resulted in her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom were killed during the turmoil during 2024.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on human rights.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and applauding as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the authorities' representative told media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of others, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by investigative sources earlier this year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those killed during the protests told press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

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

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted last month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the election.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but to date India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disheartened," he stated further.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this country."

The activist added that the sentence was not resolution for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, 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 increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he said.