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The country's previous leader has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations due to her severe measures on protests led by students which resulted in her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the disturbances last year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards before the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a notable rise in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the authorities' representative told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 began with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but morphed 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 firing at close quarters of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by external reviews in previous months indicated she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations stated to media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

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

Lucky Akther, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disappointed," he continued.

Last week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not closure for the families of those killed and injured.

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.