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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for atrocities over her severe measures on protests led by students which caused her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom were killed during the disturbances during 2024.

Hasina was tried while she was absent 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 behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and injured had called for strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and applauding as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque informed media outlets.

The student-led uprising in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish state employment quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those killed during the protests told media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

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

Following her removal, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to agree.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disappointed," he stated further.

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

The former leader faced trial alongside her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not resolution for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a normal feature 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 said.