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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for atrocities over her harsh response on youth demonstrations which caused her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people died during the turmoil last year.

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

Prosecutors accused her of being behind numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and wounded had demanded strict sentences.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was content of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with several of her detractors staging a rally and applauding as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in disturbances, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the police spokesperson told news organizations.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year started with requests to remove government job quotas but transformed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the intentional injuring of additional individuals, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls confirmed by media examinations in previous months suggested she had authorized the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the legal process.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those who died in the demonstrations told news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for the former leader and associates who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

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

"Exclusively thereafter the kin of victims [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Following her removal, an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A national vote is set for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, her political faction, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted in the previous month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, numerous would avoid the vote.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disappointed," he added.

Recently, her legal team said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial together with her former home minister and police chief.

Although the punishment offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may not significantly ease the nation's partisan rifts.

"The anger against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to news organizations. "The leader and her faction has apologised or demonstrated contrition 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 state."

The advocate continued that the penalty was not resolution for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We assist multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he expressed.