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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for atrocities due to her harsh response on protests led by students which resulted in her removal from power.

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

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had requested tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, she expressed the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her government's record on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards ahead of the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and applauding as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a notable rise in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque stated to news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt during 2024 started with demands to abolish government job quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those who died in the demonstrations told press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the vote.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her extradition but until now India has expressed no readiness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disheartened," he continued.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital informed press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."

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

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.