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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 authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom were killed during the disturbances in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and applauding as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the authorities' representative told press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 commenced through calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader verified by external reviews in previous months indicated she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests told media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is set for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the vote.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her return but until now India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am sad," he continued.

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

The former leader faced trial alongside her ex-interior minister and police chief.

While the sentence grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this country."

The activist added that the penalty was not resolution for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

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

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.