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

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

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being behind hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected every accusation, describing the process as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

This judgment represents a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and wounded had requested severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a five-page statement, Hasina said the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was content of her administration's performance on human rights.

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

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and applauding as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a notable rise in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

One explosive incident was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative Jisanul Haque told news organizations.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year began with requests to remove state employment quotas but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of others, arbitrary arrests and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by media examinations earlier this year suggested she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Before the decision, kin of those killed during the protests stated to news agencies they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, 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 abused their power".

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

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their souls."

After her departure, an caretaker administration headed by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Awami League, Hasina's political party, was prohibited by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

Hasina warned last month that if the her faction's nominees were prohibited from running in the forthcoming vote, millions would boycott the vote.

The verdict now poses a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her return but so far India has shown no willingness to comply.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I cannot even contest because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disheartened," he continued.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and due process issues at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict provides certain resolution to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed media outlets. "Neither she nor the party has expressed regret or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not finality for the families of those killed and injured.

"We assist several people who lost their limbs forever, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.