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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations stemming from her severe measures on student-led protests which led to her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest during 2024.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and injured had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the police spokesperson informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 commenced through requests to remove state employment quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews in previous months suggested she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those killed during the protests told media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but to date India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

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

Even though the verdict offers some closure to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed press agencies. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this country."

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

"We work with numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from the former leader and the former hierarchy," he stated.