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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 caused her removal from power.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people died during the disturbances in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over extended periods of oppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had called for strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and examined justly."

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

The capital witnessed a sudden increase in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the time before the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative stated to news organizations.

The student-led uprising during 2024 commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

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

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of others, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by media examinations in previous months implied she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations told press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Another relative, 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 families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Following her removal, an interim government headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

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

The judgment creates a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but to date India has shown no willingness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the outcome had varied".

"I even cannot appeal because my defendants are not present; that's why I am disheartened," he added.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her former home minister and security forces head.

While the sentence provides certain resolution to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this state."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not finality for the families of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with several people who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This could alter if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he said.