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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity over her severe measures on protests led by students which caused her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the disturbances last year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Court 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 every accusation, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her government's record on human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and applauding as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official Jisanul Haque informed news organizations.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources during the current year implied she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations informed media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

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

Lucky Akther, whose partner was fatally injured 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 achieve closure in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

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

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her return but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; for that reason I am sad," he stated further.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Although the punishment provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed press agencies. "Both she and the organization has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this country."

The activist added that the punishment was not finality for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he said.