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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for human rights violations over her harsh response on student-led protests which resulted in her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had demanded tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection ahead of the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The student-led uprising in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish state employment quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews during the current year indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest told news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

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

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their hearts."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

She alerted last month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

This decision presents a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her repatriation but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

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

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; for that reason I am sad," he stated further.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN pointing out significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried alongside her former home minister and police chief.

While the sentence grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The anger against the former leader and the her political party has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital told media outlets. "Both she and the organization 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 bulk of the population in this state."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not finality for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We assist several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.