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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity stemming from her crackdown on protests led by students which led to her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom were killed during the unrest in the previous year.

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

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had demanded severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards ahead of the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the police spokesperson informed press agencies.

The protest movement led by students last year started with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations in previous months implied she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Before the decision, family members of those killed during the protests told news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

After her departure, an temporary leadership led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the vote.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; that's why I am disheartened," he continued.

The previous week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her former home minister and police chief.

While the sentence offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not resolution for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.