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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for atrocities due to her crackdown on student-led protests which led to her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom died during the disturbances during 2024.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had called for strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her government's record on human rights.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a sudden increase in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The student-led uprising during 2024 commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of others, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by media examinations during the current year implied she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests told news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

A different family member, 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 relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but until now India has shown no willingness to agree.

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

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; that's why I am sad," he stated further.

Last week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside 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 the former leader and the her political party has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to press agencies. "Both she and the organization has apologised or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this state."

The activist added that the sentence was not closure for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation 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 the former leader and the former hierarchy," he expressed.