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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations stemming from her severe measures on student-led protests which led to her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the unrest during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

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

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in unrest, 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 victims identified, regional security representative the police spokesperson told news organizations.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by investigative sources earlier this year implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those killed during the protests told media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

After her departure, an temporary leadership headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the election.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; that's why I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this nation."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not resolution 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 cannot pardon her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he said.