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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations due to her harsh response on youth demonstrations which led to her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people died during the unrest in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and injured had requested tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson told news organizations.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by external reviews earlier this year indicated she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, 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 exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

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

She alerted during the past month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but to date India has shown no willingness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

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

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her former home minister and police chief.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this state."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not closure for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with several people who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. 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 particularly hard" for the political faction to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

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