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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity over her harsh response on student-led protests which caused her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the turmoil during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, she expressed the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative Jisanul Haque told media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews earlier this year implied she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations told press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded 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 spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

This decision presents a international dilemma for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has shown no willingness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am sad," he stated further.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

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

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

"The anger against Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

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

The activist added that the penalty was not resolution for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

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

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.