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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 resulted in her forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the turmoil in the previous year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had requested tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, Hasina said the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

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

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official Jisanul Haque told press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year commenced through calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by external reviews during the current year implied she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Before the decision, family members of those fatally injured in the unrest told press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

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

Following her removal, an interim government led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the upcoming election, countless would abstain the ballot.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

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

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am sad," he stated further.

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

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

Even though the verdict grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may do little to soothe the nation's partisan rifts.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka told press agencies. "Neither she nor the party has apologised or displayed repentance 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 campaigner further stated that the sentence was not resolution for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.