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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 resulted in her ousting.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the disturbances in the previous year.

Hasina was tried 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 the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection prior to the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and cheering as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative told press agencies.

The protest movement led by students last year began with demands to abolish state employment quotas but evolved into a wider anti-government movement.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews earlier this year implied she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest informed press outlets they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration under the guidance of economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted last month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the vote.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but to date India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disheartened," he continued.

The previous week, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

She said "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this country."

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

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" 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 the former leader and the previous administration," he expressed.