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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for atrocities due to her crackdown on youth demonstrations which resulted in her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom were killed during the turmoil last year.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Families of those killed and harmed had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security prior to the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque stated to press agencies.

The student-led uprising in the previous year started with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of others, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by investigative sources earlier this year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

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

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

After her departure, an temporary leadership headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

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

She alerted last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the ballot.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; which is why I am sad," he added.

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this state."

The activist added that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We assist numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.