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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 caused her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the disturbances in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured 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 "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards before the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and applauding as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the authorities' representative stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of others, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader verified by media examinations in previous months indicated she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed 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 achieve closure in their souls."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to agree.

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

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disheartened," he added.

Recently, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital told news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this country."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not resolution for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We support multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he said.