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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity due to her crackdown on youth demonstrations which led to her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the disturbances last year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had called for tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, she expressed the death penalty was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was proud of her government's record on human rights.

"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 legal proceedings occurred, was under enhanced protection before the ruling on Monday, with several of her detractors holding a protest and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, local police official the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader confirmed by external reviews earlier this year implied she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests informed media representatives they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

A family representative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

A different family member, whose husband was killed 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 find peace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership led by economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for the neighboring countries. Authorities have sought her repatriation but to date India has expressed no readiness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "unhappy and desiring the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; which is why I am disappointed," he added.

Recently, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

While the sentence 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 her political party has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital told 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 organization to receive endorsement by a majority of people in this country."

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

"We support multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing 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 her party to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.