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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity stemming from her severe measures on youth demonstrations which led to her ousting.

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

The trial proceeded without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted all charges, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had called for severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid 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 tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards prior to the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the sentence was declared.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year started with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources in previous months implied she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and misused their authority".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the vote.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. Dhaka has formally requested her return but to date India has shown no willingness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disappointed," he added.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting significant due process and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

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

"The fury directed at the former leader and the her political party has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed press agencies. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

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 sentence was not closure for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We support multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.