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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for atrocities due to her crackdown on protests led by students which caused her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the unrest last year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had requested tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her government's record on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection prior to the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a sudden increase in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the authorities' representative informed press agencies.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews during the current year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations informed news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Following her removal, an interim government led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; that's why I am sad," he stated further.

Recently, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist told press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not resolution for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

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

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.