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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for atrocities over her harsh response on protests led by students which resulted in her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the unrest during 2024.

The trial proceeded in absentia 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 numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had called for tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and applauding as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a sudden increase in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official Jisanul Haque informed media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with calls to eliminate government job quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by external reviews in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those killed during the protests 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 "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

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

Following her removal, an caretaker administration headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her return but until now India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disappointed," he stated further.

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her former home minister and police chief.

While the sentence grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against the former leader and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this state."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not closure for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We assist several people who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he stated.