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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for atrocities over her severe measures on youth demonstrations which resulted in her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the disturbances last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had requested tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative Jisanul Haque informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 began with requests to remove state employment quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader verified by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those killed during the protests informed press outlets 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 her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

Another relative, whose spouse died 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 caretaker administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the election.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

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

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her former home minister and security forces head.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the her political party has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist told news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not closure for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We assist numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, 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 separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.