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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for atrocities stemming from her severe measures on student-led protests which resulted in her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the disturbances during 2024.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had demanded strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection ahead of the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official Jisanul Haque stated to press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 started with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by media examinations during the current year implied she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those killed during the protests stated to news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

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

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the ballot.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but to date India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disappointed," he added.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this country."

The activist added that the sentence was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We work with multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he stated.