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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 resulted in her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, calling the trial as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had called for tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, Hasina said the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was satisfied of her leadership's history on individual freedoms.

"I have no trepidation to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in disturbances, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative informed news organizations.

The student-led uprising in the previous year began with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by external reviews in previous months indicated she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, kin of those who died in the demonstrations informed news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "carried out before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

After her departure, an temporary leadership under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the ballot.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disappointed," he stated further.

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told news organizations. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The activist added that the penalty was not closure for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist several people who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.