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

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the turmoil in the previous year.

The trial proceeded while she was absent by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted all charges, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

This judgment represents a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had demanded severe punishments.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, Hasina said the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I have no trepidation to meet my challengers in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and reviewed impartially."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards prior to the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and celebrating as the verdict was read.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative told media outlets.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with demands to abolish state employment quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "crimes against humanity".

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

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by external reviews in previous months implied she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those fatally injured in the unrest informed media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

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

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

After her departure, an interim government headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the ballot.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the decision had been otherwise".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; which is why I am sad," he continued.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers 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 in conjunction with her previous domestic affairs official and police chief.

While the sentence grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may do little to soothe the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the Awami League has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this state."

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

"We work with numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, as a result of the harsh measures. They are incapable of excusing 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 regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.