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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations stemming from her crackdown on protests led by students which led to her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted all charges, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had called for severe punishments.

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

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the police spokesperson stated to news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with demands to abolish government job quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of others, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed 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 trial.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations told news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions 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 "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 temporary leadership led by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is planned for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the vote.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her return but until now India has expressed no readiness to agree.

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

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disappointed," he stated further.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The anger against the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to news organizations. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this nation."

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

"We assist numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with the former leader and the previous administration," he expressed.