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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations due to her harsh response on student-led protests which caused her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest during 2024.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Families of those killed and harmed had called for tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the authorities' representative told media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt last year commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and torture.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by media examinations during the current year implied she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those killed during the protests told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Another relative, 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 obtain solace in their minds."

Following her removal, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the ballot.

This decision presents a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her return but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am sad," he stated further.

Recently, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her former home minister and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

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

"We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.