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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations due to her severe measures on protests led by students which caused her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom were killed during the turmoil in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and wounded had demanded severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection before the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque informed news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews in previous months indicated she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Before the decision, family members of those who died in the demonstrations stated to media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the ballot.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her return but so far India has shown no willingness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disheartened," he added.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

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

Even though the verdict offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to press agencies. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this state."

The activist added that the penalty was not closure for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We support numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.