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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity over her harsh response on youth demonstrations which led to her removal from power.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against activists, among whom around 1,400 people lost their lives during the unrest last year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

The prosecution alleged of being the mastermind of multiple fatalities during the protests. Hasina has denied the entire case, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over years of repression. Next of kin of victims and injured had demanded strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a detailed document, Hasina said the execution sentence was the caretaker administration's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her leadership's history on human rights.

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

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the court convened, was under enhanced protection prior to the verdict on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics organizing a demonstration and applauding as the verdict was read.

The city has seen a sudden increase in turmoil, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, regional security representative the authorities' representative stated to media outlets.

The student-led uprising in the previous year started with calls to eliminate state employment quotas but transformed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators declared in an analysis in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "human rights atrocities".

The paper detailed the firing at close quarters of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of others, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina authenticated by media examinations earlier this year suggested she had authorized the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the proceedings.

Ahead of the verdict, kin of those who died in the demonstrations stated to news agencies they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "committed acts of vengeance and misused their authority".

A different family member, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "implemented before the election".

"Exclusively thereafter the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will achieve closure in their minds."

Following her removal, an caretaker administration under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is set for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, Hasina's political party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's temporary leadership in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the election.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but so far India has shown no willingness to comply.

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

"I cannot even contest because my clients are absent; for that reason I am disappointed," he added.

The previous week, her legal team said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and judicial process problems at the ICT.

Legal proceedings involved Hasina alongside her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at the former leader and the Awami League has not diminished," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to news organizations. "The leader and her faction has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the killings of hundreds of people."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the organization to receive endorsement by a bulk of the population in this nation."

The campaigner further stated that the penalty was not resolution for the relatives of those who died and were wounded.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They cannot pardon her."

A journalist, a commentator on the nation's politics, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a regular participant of the country's governance system again.

This may change if "an expression of regret occurs and a disassociation with Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he stated.