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

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

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom were killed during the turmoil in the previous year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Families of those killed and harmed had requested tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising last year began with requests to remove state employment quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of further participants, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews during the current year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those who died in the demonstrations stated to news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

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

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

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but so far India has shown no willingness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; which is why I am disheartened," he continued.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist told news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this country."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not closure for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We assist several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the old leadership," he said.