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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity due to her severe measures on protests led by students which caused her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the unrest during 2024.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had demanded severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on human rights.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and celebrating as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated 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, regional security representative the police spokesperson informed media outlets.

The student-led uprising during 2024 commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by media examinations during the current year implied she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those who died in the demonstrations told news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Following her removal, an interim government led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the ballot.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her return but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; which is why I am disappointed," he stated further.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed news organizations. "Both she and the organization has apologised or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this state."

The activist added that the sentence was not resolution for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.