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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations over her crackdown on student-led protests which resulted in her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the turmoil last year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, she expressed the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] 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 meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection ahead of the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative Jisanul Haque told press agencies.

The student-led uprising in the previous year commenced through requests to remove government job quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of further participants, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by media examinations in previous months suggested she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the election.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am sad," he continued.

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this state."

The activist added that the penalty was not closure for the families of those killed and injured.

"We support numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.