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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for atrocities due to her harsh response on youth demonstrations which resulted in her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the unrest in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had requested severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, she expressed the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards before the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the authorities' representative stated to news organizations.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 started with requests to remove government job quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of further participants, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by media examinations during the current year implied she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

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

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her return but until now India has shown no willingness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

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

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

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

While the sentence grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

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

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

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.