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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity over her severe measures on student-led protests which caused her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people died during the disturbances in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection ahead of the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated by media examinations in previous months implied she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those killed during the protests told news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

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

Nonetheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the vote.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

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

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disheartened," he stated further.

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

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against the former leader and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this country."

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

"We support several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he stated.