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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for atrocities over her crackdown on youth demonstrations which resulted in her forced departure.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom were killed during the disturbances during 2024.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, since she went into 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. She has refuted all charges, describing the process as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a decisive point for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and harmed had requested strict sentences.

Responding to the decision in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the capital punishment was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a governing body and that she was content of her administration's performance on human rights.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a fair court where the evidence can be weighed and examined justly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under tightened security before the decision on Monday, with several of her detractors organizing a demonstration and applauding as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a notable rise in disturbances, with numerous incendiary devices set off and buses set on fire in the period preceding the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, area law enforcement officer the authorities' representative stated to media outlets.

The youth-driven revolt in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

United Nations rights examiners stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the purposeful disabling of others, unjustified apprehensions and mistreatment.

Disclosed sound files of a telephone conversation involving Hasina confirmed by external reviews during the current year implied she had approved the use of "deadly arms" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the proceedings.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations informed press outlets 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 her and co-accused who have "committed acts of vengeance and abused their power".

A different family member, whose partner was fatally injured near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

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

After her departure, an temporary leadership led by economic expert Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is planned for February 2026.

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

The former leader cautioned in the previous month that if the party's candidates were banned from standing in the imminent electoral process, countless would abstain the vote.

The judgment creates a diplomatic challenge for the neighboring countries. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition but until now India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

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

"I am unable to challenge because my represented individuals are away; that's why I am disheartened," he added.

Recently, her legal team said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN raising significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried 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 do little to soothe the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not subsided," a human rights advocate from the capital informed news organizations. "The leader and her faction has said sorry or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a majority of people in this country."

The activist added that the penalty was not resolution for the kin of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with multiple individuals who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. 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 increasingly challenging" for Awami League to become a normal feature of the country's governance system again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the previous administration," he stated.