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

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest in the previous year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had called for tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and cheering as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the authorities' representative stated to media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year began with demands to abolish state employment quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of further participants, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by media examinations earlier this year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

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

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

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

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

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the vote.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but so far India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

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

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those killed and injured.

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

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.