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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations due to her harsh response on youth demonstrations which resulted in her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the turmoil last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted 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 hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment 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 political force and that she was content of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of further participants, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader confirmed by investigative sources in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest told media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

Following her removal, an interim government headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her return but to date India has expressed no readiness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

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

The previous week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

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

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to news organizations. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not closure for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We support multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he stated.