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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations stemming from her harsh response on youth demonstrations which resulted in her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the unrest in the previous year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted all charges, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, she expressed the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards ahead of the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative stated to media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year began with 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 amount to "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of others, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations earlier this year suggested she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the election.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but so far India has shown no willingness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disheartened," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her former home minister and security forces head.

While the sentence offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told press agencies. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this country."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not closure for the families of those killed and injured.

"We support several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.