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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for atrocities stemming from her severe measures on youth demonstrations which led to her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people died during the unrest in the previous year.

Hasina was tried without her presence by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

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

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had requested strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was proud of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under increased safeguards before the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and cheering as the judgment was announced.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer Jisanul Haque informed media outlets.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year started with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could constitute "crimes against humanity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the intentional injuring of others, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had sanctioned the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those killed during the protests informed media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

After her departure, an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is planned for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the vote.

The verdict now poses a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to comply.

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

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am sad," he continued.

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

Hasina was tried alongside her previous domestic affairs official and security forces head.

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

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to press agencies. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or shown any remorse for the killings of hundreds of people."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not resolution for the relatives of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Hasina and the old leadership," he said.