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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for atrocities over her crackdown on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom were killed during the unrest during 2024.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted all charges, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and injured had requested strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her government's record on human rights.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and cheering as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson told media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by investigative sources during the current year suggested she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest informed news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, 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".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the vote.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for both nations. Authorities have sought her return but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disheartened," he stated further.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out 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 kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

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

The activist added that the penalty was not resolution for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he said.