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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 caused her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil in the previous year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had called for severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her government's record on human rights.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

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

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the police spokesperson stated to news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of further participants, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by media examinations during the current year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those killed during the protests stated to press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the election.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disheartened," he stated further.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

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

While the sentence grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital told press agencies. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this state."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not resolution for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We assist numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he said.