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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity due to her harsh response on student-led protests which resulted in her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people died during the disturbances during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her government's record on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque told media outlets.

The student-led uprising during 2024 began with demands to abolish government job quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by media examinations earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations stated to media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

After her departure, an caretaker administration headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted last month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her return but to date India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am sad," he stated further.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told press agencies. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this state."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not finality for the families of those killed and injured.

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Hasina and the previous administration," he said.