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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity due to her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the disturbances last year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and cheering as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the authorities' representative stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising in the previous year started with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by investigative sources in previous months indicated she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those killed during the protests told media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

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

Following her removal, an temporary leadership led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

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

The judgment creates a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her return but to date India has shown no willingness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disheartened," he added.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this country."

The activist added that the punishment was not finality for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.