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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations over her harsh response on youth demonstrations which caused her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom were killed during the turmoil during 2024.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected 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 extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had requested strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards ahead of the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative stated to media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those who died in the demonstrations informed press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

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

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

Following her removal, an interim government headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned last month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disappointed," he continued.

Recently, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

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

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against the former leader and the her political party has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

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

The advocate continued that the sentence was not resolution for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, 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 could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.