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Bangladesh's former prime minister has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on youth demonstrations which caused her removal from power.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the turmoil during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted while she was absent by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. The former leader rejected all charges, calling the trial as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Families of those killed and injured had called for severe punishments.

Answering the judgment in a detailed document, Hasina said the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a governing body and that she was proud of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and reviewed impartially."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection ahead of the verdict on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and cheering as the sentence was declared.

The city has seen a notable rise in turmoil, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the period preceding the verdict.

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

The protest movement led by students in the previous year started with requests to remove public sector reservation policies but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the nearly 1,400 casualties could amount to "human rights atrocities".

The study recorded the shooting at point-blank range of certain demonstrators, the purposeful disabling of additional individuals, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by media examinations in previous months indicated she had sanctioned the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, family members of those killed during the protests stated to news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "strict sentence" for her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted her penalty to be "implemented before the election".

"Only then the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their souls."

Following her removal, an temporary leadership headed by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A national vote is set for February 2026.

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

Hasina warned during the past month that if the the League's representatives were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the ballot.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for both nations. Dhaka has formally requested her return but to date India has expressed no readiness to agree.

Hasina's state-appointed lawyer Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "unhappy and desiring the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my clients are absent; that's why I am disheartened," he continued.

The previous week, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN raising serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial alongside her ex-interior minister and police chief.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The anger against the former leader and the her political party has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist told media outlets. "Both she and the organization has said sorry or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this state."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not resolution for the kin of those who died and were wounded.

"We assist numerous persons who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for Awami League to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a separation from Hasina and the former hierarchy," he expressed.