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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on youth demonstrations which caused her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the unrest during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Court 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 all charges, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and harmed had called for severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a sudden increase in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt last year started with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of others, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader verified by external reviews earlier this year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Before the decision, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest informed press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

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

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

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

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the election.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

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

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The activist added that the penalty was not closure for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.