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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for atrocities due to her harsh response on protests led by students which caused her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the unrest last year.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had demanded strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on human rights.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and applauding as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the police spokesperson informed press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year began with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of others, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews during the current year implied she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest told media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

After her departure, an interim government headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

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

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

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

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the her political party has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this nation."

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

"We assist several people who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

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