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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for atrocities stemming from her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Families of those killed and wounded had demanded strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on human rights.

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

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official Jisanul Haque informed press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt last year commenced through demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by media examinations earlier this year implied she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, relatives of those killed during the protests informed news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates 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 the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an interim government under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is set for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the election.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but until now India has expressed no readiness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

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

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her former home minister and security forces head.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to news organizations. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this nation."

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

"We assist numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. 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 Awami League to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he said.