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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity stemming from her crackdown on protests led by students which caused her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the turmoil last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had requested severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection prior to the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official Jisanul Haque stated to news organizations.

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

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by investigative sources in previous months implied she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the election.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disappointed," he added.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not closure for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We work with multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with the former leader and the old leadership," he stated.