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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations due to her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the turmoil in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted all charges, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards ahead of the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque told media outlets.

The student-led uprising last year began with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader verified by investigative sources earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those killed during the protests told media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

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

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the election.

This decision presents a international dilemma for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has shown no willingness to agree.

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

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

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

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

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

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this state."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not closure for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.