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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity due to her severe measures on student-led protests which resulted in her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the unrest in the previous year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

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

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on individual freedoms.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection before the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The student-led uprising during 2024 commenced through requests to remove government job quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader confirmed by investigative sources during the current year indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the election.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but until now India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

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

Recently, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this state."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not finality for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from the former leader and the old leadership," he expressed.