The nation of Bangladesh's Former Leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed Given to Capital Punishment

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

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

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

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards before the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative told press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year commenced through 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 represent "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

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

Prior to the ruling, family members of those who died in the demonstrations informed press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

After her departure, an temporary leadership led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the vote.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; which is why I am sad," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

While the sentence offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition 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 nation."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not closure for the families of those killed and injured.

"We assist numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.