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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity due to her crackdown on youth demonstrations which led to her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the unrest last year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her government's record on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection prior to the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and applauding as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a sudden increase in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official Jisanul Haque informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources earlier this year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those who died in the demonstrations told news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Following her removal, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned during the past month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the vote.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her repatriation but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disappointed," he continued.

The previous week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

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 penalty was not finality for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We work with several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a standard element of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he expressed.