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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations due to 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 protesters, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the unrest during 2024.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the special international tribunal 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 the entire case, 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 harmed had requested severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was content of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection ahead of the verdict 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 numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader confirmed by investigative sources in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests informed news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

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

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

The former leader cautioned last month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the vote.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; for that reason I am sad," he added.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

While the sentence grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital informed news organizations. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this nation."

The activist added that the sentence was not closure for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with the former leader and the former hierarchy," he said.