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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations over her crackdown on student-led protests which caused her ousting.

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 while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, 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. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had requested severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection prior to the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative stated to press agencies.

The student-led uprising last year commenced through demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by media examinations in previous months indicated she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, kin of those killed during the protests told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

After her departure, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the election.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; that's why I am sad," he stated further.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed press agencies. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this state."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not resolution for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We work with several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.