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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity due to her harsh response on youth demonstrations which caused her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the unrest during 2024.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had called for tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative Jisanul Haque informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year commenced through calls to eliminate government job quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by external reviews earlier this year implied she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations informed news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

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

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

After her departure, an interim government under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her repatriation but to date India has expressed no readiness to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

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

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her former home minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed news organizations. "The leader and her faction has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this state."

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

"We support several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.