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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 led to her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom were killed during the unrest last year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Families of those killed and injured had requested strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her government's record on human rights.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson told media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year began with demands to abolish government job quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by media examinations in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests informed news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured 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 find peace in their souls."

After her departure, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disappointed," he added.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her former home minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "Both she and the organization has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this nation."

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

"We work with multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from the former leader and the old leadership," he expressed.