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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on protests led by students which resulted in her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the disturbances last year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the police spokesperson stated to media outlets.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 began with calls to eliminate government job quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader confirmed by media examinations earlier this year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, relatives of those killed during the protests stated to news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

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

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her return but until now India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her 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 disheartened," he stated further.

The previous week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not resolution for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he said.