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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity over her severe measures on youth demonstrations which caused her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom were killed during the disturbances during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had requested tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the execution sentence 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 proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under increased safeguards ahead of the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina holding a protest and applauding as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The student-led uprising last year began with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

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

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by media examinations during the current year implied she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Before the decision, family members of those killed during the protests stated to media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

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

"Only then the kin of victims [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the election.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

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

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting significant due process and due process issues at the ICT.

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

Although the punishment offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist told news organizations. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this nation."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We assist numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

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

This might transform if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.