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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations over her crackdown on student-led protests which led to her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom died during the disturbances during 2024.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was content of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and applauding as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the police spokesperson told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt last year started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by investigative sources during the current year implied she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those killed during the protests informed press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

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

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is set for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted last 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 both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but until now India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; that's why I am disappointed," he stated further.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

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

Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital informed news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this nation."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not closure for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Hasina and the former hierarchy," he said.