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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 caused her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom were killed during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and injured had requested severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a sudden increase in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative stated to news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources in previous months implied she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, kin of those killed during the protests stated to media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, 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 misused their authority".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her repatriation but until now India has shown no willingness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; for that reason I am sad," he stated further.

Recently, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards 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 demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not closure for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We support several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he stated.