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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for crimes against humanity due to her crackdown on youth demonstrations which led to her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals were killed during the unrest last year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind multiple fatalities during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, calling the trial as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Families of those killed and wounded had demanded strict sentences.

Reacting to the verdict in a detailed document, Hasina said the capital punishment was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was content of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

Bangladesh's main city, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security before the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and applauding as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, local police official the police spokesperson stated to press agencies.

The student-led uprising in the previous year started with demands to abolish government job quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could represent "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the deliberate maiming of others, unwarranted detentions and torture.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by investigative sources in previous months suggested she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the legal process.

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

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their souls."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her repatriation but until now India has shown no willingness to comply.

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

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

Last week, the defense attorneys said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

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

Although the punishment offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

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

The advocate declared "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this state."

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

"We work with multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he said.