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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations due to her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the turmoil last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had demanded strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection before the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the police spokesperson told media outlets.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document 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 purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews in previous months implied she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

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 misused their authority".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

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

After her departure, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the election.

This decision presents a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disheartened," he added.

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this nation."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not closure for the families of those killed and injured.

"We assist several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he expressed.