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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations over her crackdown on youth demonstrations which led to her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the disturbances last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

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

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

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

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection before the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the police spokesperson informed news organizations.

The protest movement led by students last year began with requests to remove government job quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by investigative sources earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest informed news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

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

After her departure, an temporary leadership headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but until now India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; which is why I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has apologised or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not closure for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.