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

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil during 2024.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had called for severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, she expressed 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 individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a sudden increase in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the authorities' representative stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising in the previous year commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews earlier this year indicated she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those killed during the protests informed media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disappointed," he continued.

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

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

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this country."

The activist added that the penalty was not finality for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he said.