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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for atrocities due to her severe measures on youth demonstrations which resulted in her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people died during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and injured had demanded strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection ahead of the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and cheering as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a sudden increase in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official Jisanul Haque told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader verified by external reviews in previous months indicated she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

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

Following her removal, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am sad," he stated further.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

While the sentence grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital informed press agencies. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not closure for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

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

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from the former leader and the previous administration," he expressed.