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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity over her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the turmoil in the previous year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had requested strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and applauding as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative informed press agencies.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 started with demands to abolish government job quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of further participants, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by external reviews during the current year implied she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded 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 Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

After her departure, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the election.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her repatriation but until now India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disappointed," he added.

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

Hasina was tried together with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."

The activist added that the punishment was not closure for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We assist multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.