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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for atrocities over her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the turmoil during 2024.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had requested tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection ahead of the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and applauding as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with requests to remove state employment quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

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

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations informed press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

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

After her departure, an interim government headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

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

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval 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 work with several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with the former leader and the former hierarchy," he stated.