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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for atrocities stemming from her harsh response on protests led by students which led to her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the unrest during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Families of those killed and injured had demanded tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards before the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative Jisanul Haque stated to news organizations.

The student-led uprising in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish state employment quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

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

The study recorded the firing at close quarters of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by investigative sources earlier this year implied she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those killed during the protests stated to media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed 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 partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

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

Following her removal, an interim government under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her former home minister and police chief.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the her political party has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this state."

The activist added that the sentence was not finality for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We work with numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

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