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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for atrocities over her severe measures on student-led protests which resulted in her forced departure.

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

Hasina was tried without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had called for tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was content of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection prior to the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a recent spike in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

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

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with calls to eliminate 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 "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by media examinations during the current year implied she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

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

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the vote.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

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

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We work with several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from the former leader and the old leadership," he stated.