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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on youth demonstrations which resulted in her ousting.

The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, 1,400 of whom died during the turmoil during 2024.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being the mastermind of hundreds of killings during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "prejudiced and driven by politics".

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

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, she expressed the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a political force and that she was content of her government's record on individual freedoms.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under tightened security ahead of the ruling on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics holding a protest and cheering as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a notable rise in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and public transport vehicles burned in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative informed media outlets.

The student-led uprising during 2024 started with requests to remove state employment quotas but transformed into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "violations of human dignity".

The paper detailed the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of others, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of a telephone conversation involving Hasina verified by external reviews earlier this year indicated she had authorized the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

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

One relative, whose family member was fatally wounded in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

Lucky Akther, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the families of those killed [in the protests] will find peace in their minds."

Following her removal, an interim government under the guidance of economist Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the her former political organization, Hasina's political party, was banned by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

Hasina warned in the previous month that if the her faction's nominees were banned from standing in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the election.

This decision presents a international dilemma for both nations. Authorities have sought her return but so far India has shown no willingness to comply.

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

"I cannot even contest because my defendants are not present; for that reason I am disappointed," he continued.

The previous week, Hasina's lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Hasina was tried in conjunction with her former home minister and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to families of killed in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The resentment towards Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist stated to press agencies. "The leader and her faction has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the fatalities of countless citizens."

She said "This complicates matters for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

The activist added that the sentence was not closure for the kin of those killed and injured.

"We support several people who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "inherent character of the guilty verdict could make it particularly hard" for Awami League to become a regular participant of Bangladeshi politics again.

This could alter if "an expression of regret occurs and a distancing from the former leader and the old leadership," he stated.