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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for atrocities stemming from her harsh response on youth demonstrations which led to her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest last year.

Hasina was tried while she was absent by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and injured had demanded severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, she expressed the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards prior to the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

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

The protest movement led by students during 2024 commenced through calls to eliminate government job quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by investigative sources in previous months implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

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

One relative, whose sibling was killed 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 "executed before the election".

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

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the election.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for both nations. Authorities have sought her repatriation but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

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

Last week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

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

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against the former leader and the her political party has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital told press agencies. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this country."

The advocate continued that the sentence was not closure for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for the political faction to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

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