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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations stemming from her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the disturbances last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and harmed had called for strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, Hasina said the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her government's record on human rights.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection before the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the police spokesperson stated to news organizations.

The student-led uprising in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations in previous months implied she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

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

After her departure, an temporary leadership headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disappointed," he stated further.

Recently, her legal team 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 alongside her former home minister and police chief.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this state."

The activist added that the sentence was not closure for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We work with several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.