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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for atrocities due to her crackdown on protests led by students which led to her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people died during the unrest during 2024.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative Jisanul Haque informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by investigative sources during the current year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest informed media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was outlawed 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.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has shown no willingness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am sad," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital informed press agencies. "The leader and her faction has apologised or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this state."

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

"We work with several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

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