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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity stemming from her harsh response on protests led by students which resulted in her removal from power.

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

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security ahead of the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official Jisanul Haque told media outlets.

The student-led uprising last year commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by investigative sources during the current year implied she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those killed during the protests told press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but so far India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disappointed," he continued.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The anger against the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not finality for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We assist several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.