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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations stemming from her harsh response on protests led by students which caused her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the disturbances last year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had demanded severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, Hasina said the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her government's record on human rights.

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

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official Jisanul Haque told media outlets.

The protest movement led by students last year started with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated by media examinations earlier this year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

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

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

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

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but so far India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am sad," he stated further.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

While the sentence grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Hasina and the her political party has not subsided," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told press agencies. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the party to be accepted by a most citizens in this nation."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not closure for the families of those killed and injured.

"We assist numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the old leadership," he stated.