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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations due to her crackdown on protests led by students which caused her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the disturbances during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted 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.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and harmed had called for severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

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

The protest movement led by students during 2024 began with demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by investigative sources during the current year indicated she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

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

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

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but until now India has shown no willingness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; which is why I am sad," he added.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this state."

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

"We support several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. 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 might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he said.