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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations due to her severe measures on youth demonstrations which caused her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted all charges, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had requested tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was content of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative informed press agencies.

The student-led uprising in the previous year started with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of further participants, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by media examinations during the current year suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, family members of those killed during the protests stated to media representatives 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 the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date 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 cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; that's why I am sad," he continued.

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "The leader and her faction has apologised 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 state."

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

"We assist numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

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