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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity due to her severe measures on youth demonstrations which caused her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the unrest during 2024.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

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

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration'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 meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and cheering as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the police spokesperson stated to news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt last year began with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could represent "crimes against humanity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by media examinations in previous months suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, family members of those killed during the protests informed press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

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

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

After her departure, an temporary leadership led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but until now India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disheartened," he continued.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

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

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed press agencies. "Both she and the organization has apologised or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this country."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not finality for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a normal feature of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.