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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for atrocities due to her severe measures on student-led protests which resulted in her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the unrest in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and wounded had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official Jisanul Haque told media outlets.

The student-led uprising in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by external reviews earlier this year implied she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest informed news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

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

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

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

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but until now India has shown no willingness to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

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

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this nation."

The activist added that the penalty was not closure for the families of those killed and injured.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.