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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 permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the unrest in the previous year.

Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted all charges, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had requested severe punishments.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was content of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection before the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and celebrating as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a sudden increase in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque informed media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year began with calls to eliminate government job quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader verified by external reviews during the current year suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest told press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A general election is set for February 2026.

However, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the election.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has shown no willingness to comply.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the decision had been otherwise".

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; which is why I am disappointed," he added.

Recently, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her ex-interior minister and top law enforcement officer.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The anger against the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka informed news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

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

"We work with numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

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