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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for atrocities stemming from her crackdown on student-led protests which caused her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the unrest last year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

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

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the authorities' representative informed news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by media examinations in previous months implied she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

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

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

After her departure, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disheartened," he continued.

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this state."

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

"We assist multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.