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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations stemming from her severe measures on youth demonstrations which led to her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil during 2024.

The trial proceeded without her presence 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 responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had requested severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a sudden increase in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque told media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt last year commenced through requests to remove government job quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by media examinations during the current year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest informed media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

After her departure, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was prohibited 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 upcoming election, numerous would avoid the vote.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her return but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

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

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this nation."

The activist added that the penalty was not closure for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the previous administration," he said.