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

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom died during the disturbances in the previous year.

Hasina was tried in absentia 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 all charges, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Families of those killed and harmed had demanded severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, the former leader stated the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a sudden increase in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the authorities' representative told press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with requests to remove government job quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by media examinations in previous months indicated she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the election.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disheartened," he added.

Last week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her former home minister and security forces head.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against the former leader and the her political party has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist told press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.