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

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the turmoil last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted 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.

The prosecution alleged of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and injured had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection before the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited 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 told press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 started with requests to remove state employment quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader verified by external reviews earlier this year indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations stated to news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the election.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disheartened," he continued.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

While the sentence grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told press agencies. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this country."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not resolution for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We assist numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.