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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity due to her crackdown on youth demonstrations which led to her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom died during the turmoil during 2024.

The trial proceeded 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.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, describing the process as "biased and politically motivated".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over extended periods of oppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had demanded tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, the former leader stated the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under tightened security prior to the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and applauding as the verdict was read.

The city has seen 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 noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, regional security representative the authorities' representative told news organizations.

The protest movement led by students last year commenced through requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The report documented the firing at close quarters of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of others, unjustified apprehensions and torture.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls authenticated by external reviews earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, family members of those killed during the protests told press outlets they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

A family representative, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their hearts."

Since Hasina's ousting, an caretaker administration under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is scheduled for February 2026.

However, the Awami League, her political faction, was prohibited by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

She alerted during the past month that if the party's candidates were barred from participating in the imminent electoral process, millions would boycott the election.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

Her officially designated attorney her legal counsel said he was "disappointed and hoping the outcome had varied".

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; that's why I am disheartened," he stated further.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the nation's partisan rifts.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the the former ruling faction has not diminished," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to news organizations. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or shown any remorse for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This creates challenges for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this country."

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

"We assist numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

An analyst, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it increasingly challenging" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a distancing from Sheikh Hasina and the former hierarchy," he stated.