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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on student-led protests which led to her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the disturbances last year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Families of those killed and injured had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security before the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a recent spike in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the authorities' representative stated to news organizations.

The student-led uprising last year commenced through demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews in previous months indicated she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" 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 minds."

After her departure, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted last month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the vote.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but to date India has expressed no readiness to agree.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disappointed," he added.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

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

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not finality for the families of those killed and injured.

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.