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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations over her severe measures on student-led protests which caused her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had called for severe punishments.

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

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a sudden increase in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official Jisanul Haque informed press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 commenced through calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The report documented the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by external reviews earlier this year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest told news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the election.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her return but until now India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; that's why I am disappointed," he added.

Recently, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her former home minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed news organizations. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this country."

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

"We work with several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.