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

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom were killed during the unrest in the previous year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Families of those killed and wounded had requested tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards before the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the authorities' representative informed press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt last year commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by media examinations in previous months implied she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those killed during the protests stated to press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose husband was killed 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."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

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

She alerted in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but until now India has shown no willingness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain 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 stated further.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital informed news organizations. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not finality for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from the former leader and the old leadership," he expressed.