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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 student-led protests which resulted in her ousting.

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

Hasina was tried without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, 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 administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection ahead of the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

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

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the police spokesperson informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews in previous months implied she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest informed media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

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".

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

After her departure, an interim government headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the ballot.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her return but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her 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.

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not finality for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

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