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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for human rights violations over her harsh response on protests led by students which caused her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people died during the turmoil during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had requested severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security prior to the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The protest movement led by students last year began with calls to eliminate government job quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews during the current year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Before the decision, kin of those killed during the protests stated to media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

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

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

After her departure, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government 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, millions would boycott the vote.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for both nations. Authorities have sought her repatriation but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

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

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has apologised or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not closure for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, 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 "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.