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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for atrocities over her harsh response on youth demonstrations which resulted in her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the disturbances during 2024.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and wounded had called for severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year started with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by media examinations during the current year indicated she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations informed media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is set for February 2026.

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

She alerted in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

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

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

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; that's why I am disheartened," he added.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

While the sentence offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We assist several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.