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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity over her harsh response on protests led by students which caused her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her government's record on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection prior to the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the authorities' representative told media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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 some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews during the current year implied she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, kin of those killed during the protests stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

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

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her repatriation but until now India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; which is why I am disheartened," he stated further.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

While the sentence offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed news organizations. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

The activist added that the sentence was not closure for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We assist multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.