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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for atrocities due to her severe measures on youth demonstrations which led to her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest in the previous year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and harmed had called for tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the capital punishment 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 civil liberties.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The student-led uprising in the previous year commenced through requests to remove government job quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "crimes against humanity".

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

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by investigative sources during the current year indicated she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those killed during the protests told news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

After her departure, an interim government under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned last month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the election.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but until now India has shown no willingness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disappointed," he stated further.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Although the punishment offers some closure to kin of victims 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 decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital informed press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not closure for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We support several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he expressed.