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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations stemming from her severe measures on protests led by students which caused her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a notable rise in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the authorities' representative informed news organizations.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader verified by media examinations in previous months implied she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest told media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

After her departure, an temporary leadership led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted last month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her return but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disheartened," he added.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

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

The advocate continued that the penalty was not resolution for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We assist numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.