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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 forced departure.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals lost their lives during the unrest last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India following her ouster in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, the former leader stated the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was proud of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a fair court where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security ahead of the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and cheering as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike 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 noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the police spokesperson told news organizations.

The protest movement led by students last year began with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Leaked audio of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources during the current year suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations informed news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and abused their power".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

After her departure, an temporary leadership under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

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

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; that's why I am disheartened," he continued.

The previous week, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and police chief.

Although the punishment offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has said sorry or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this state."

The activist added that the sentence was not finality for the families of those killed and injured.

"We support multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

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