The nation of Bangladesh's Deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed Sentenced to Capital Punishment

Bangladesh's former prime minister has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her crackdown on student-led protests which led to her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the unrest last year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection prior to the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and applauding as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the authorities' representative informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising in the previous year started with requests to remove state employment quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest informed media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

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

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an interim government led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned last month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; that's why I am disappointed," he added.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist told news organizations. "Both she and the organization has apologised or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not finality for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from the former leader and the old leadership," he expressed.