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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations due to her crackdown on youth demonstrations which resulted in her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people died during the disturbances last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had called for tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her government's record on human rights.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection prior to the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a sudden increase in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

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

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but until now India has shown no willingness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; that's why I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told news organizations. "Both she and the organization has apologised or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this country."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not closure for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.