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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on protests led by students which resulted in her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection ahead of the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and cheering as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official Jisanul Haque informed media outlets.

The student-led uprising in the previous year started with demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the intentional injuring of others, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews in previous months indicated she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

After her departure, an interim government headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but to date India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Her officially designated attorney Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; which is why I am sad," he continued.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed news organizations. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a most citizens in this country."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not closure for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We assist multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.