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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations due to her crackdown on youth demonstrations which caused her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had requested strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the authorities' representative informed news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by investigative sources earlier this year indicated she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest told press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

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

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

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

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the election.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; that's why I am sad," he added.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her former home minister and security forces head.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not finality for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he said.