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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for atrocities due to her crackdown on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom were killed during the unrest in the previous year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had called for severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards ahead of the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative informed press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with calls to eliminate public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader verified by external reviews in previous months implied she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those killed during the protests informed news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am sad," he added.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition 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 nation."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not closure for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.