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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity stemming from her harsh response 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, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the disturbances during 2024.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Court 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 numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had requested tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security prior to the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the authorities' representative informed news organizations.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year began with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by external reviews during the current year suggested she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations informed media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

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 spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

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

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her return but until now India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disheartened," he added.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her former home minister and police chief.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

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

The advocate continued that the punishment was not finality for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he expressed.