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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on student-led protests which led to her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom died during the turmoil during 2024.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had requested strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards ahead of the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the authorities' representative told media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt last year commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by investigative sources earlier this year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

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

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

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

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disappointed," he added.

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist told news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The activist added that the penalty was not closure for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from the former leader and the old leadership," he expressed.