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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations stemming from her harsh response on youth demonstrations which led to her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and wounded had demanded severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her leadership's history on human rights.

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

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a recent spike in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources in previous months implied she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Before the decision, relatives of those killed during the protests informed press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured 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 obtain solace in their minds."

After her departure, an temporary leadership led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disappointed," he stated further.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her former home minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to press agencies. "The leader and her faction has said sorry 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 country."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We assist several people who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with the former leader and the former hierarchy," he stated.