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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for atrocities over her severe measures on protests led by students which led to her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the disturbances last year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Families of those killed and harmed had requested severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I am not afraid to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection ahead of the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by media examinations during the current year suggested she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Following her removal, an interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has shown no willingness to comply.

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

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; that's why I am disheartened," he added.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her former home minister and police chief.

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 anger against Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital told news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

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

The campaigner further stated that the sentence was not resolution for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We assist numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.