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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity stemming from her crackdown on protests led by students which caused her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

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

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards ahead of the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a notable rise in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the police spokesperson informed media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those who died in the demonstrations told media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

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

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

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

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but so far India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disappointed," he stated further.

The previous week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.