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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for atrocities due to her harsh response on protests led by students which caused her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the unrest last year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office 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 verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards before the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and cheering as the judgment was announced.

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

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the authorities' representative informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with requests to remove state employment quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations during the current year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests informed media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

After her departure, an interim government under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the vote.

This decision presents a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but to date India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disappointed," he continued.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her former home minister and police chief.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital informed press agencies. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

The activist added that the penalty was not closure for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.