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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for atrocities due to her crackdown on protests led by students which caused her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the unrest last year.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had demanded tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the police spokesperson informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising last year started with requests to remove government job quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by investigative sources earlier this year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations stated to media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Following her removal, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

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

She alerted last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the election.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but so far India has shown no willingness to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; that's why I am disheartened," he stated further.

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

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

The advocate continued that the penalty was not resolution for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with several people who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.