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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations stemming from her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil last year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had requested strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and applauding as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt last year started with demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of further participants, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by media examinations during the current year suggested she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

After her departure, an caretaker administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted last month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the election.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but to date India has shown no willingness to comply.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am sad," he added.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

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

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

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this country."

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

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from the former leader and the old leadership," he expressed.