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

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the turmoil last year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had requested tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

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

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection prior to the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official Jisanul Haque told news organizations.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through calls to eliminate government job 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 "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations earlier this year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, kin of those killed during the protests told media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

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

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the election.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disappointed," he continued.

Recently, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

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

"The resentment towards Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed press agencies. "Both she and the organization has apologised or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this nation."

The activist added that the punishment was not closure for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he said.