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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity over her harsh response on youth demonstrations which resulted in her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the disturbances in the previous year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied every accusation, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had called for severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, the former leader stated the death penalty 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 human rights.

"I do not fear to meet my challengers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and cheering as the judgment was announced.

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in unrest, with numerous incendiary devices set off and public transport vehicles burned in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

United Nations rights examiners said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of a call made by the former leader authenticated by investigative sources during the current year implied she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations stated to news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

After her departure, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the her former political organization, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the ballot.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

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

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; which is why I am disappointed," he continued.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina together with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The resentment towards the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed news organizations. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this state."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not finality for the families of those killed and injured.

"We assist numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, as a result of the harsh measures. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a standard element of Bangladeshi politics again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with the former leader and the former hierarchy," he said.