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

Hasina was declared culpable of authorizing deadly measures to be used against demonstrators, 1,400 of whom lost their lives during the disturbances during 2024.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being the mastermind of numerous deaths during the protests. She has refuted every accusation, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Next of kin of victims and injured had called for tough penalties.

Responding to the decision in a five-page statement, she expressed the execution sentence was the interim government's way of "eradicating the Awami League" as a electoral entity and that she was proud of her leadership's history on human rights.

"I am not afraid to meet my challengers in a proper tribunal where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the legal proceedings occurred, was under increased safeguards before the decision on Monday, with many of Hasina's critics staging a rally and applauding as the verdict was read.

The capital witnessed a recent spike in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

At least one bomb explosion was noted in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no victims identified, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson stated to news organizations.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 commenced through demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but evolved into a broader opposition campaign.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could represent "human rights atrocities".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of a number of activists, the purposeful disabling of others, unwarranted detentions and mistreatment.

Leaked audio of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by external reviews during the current year suggested she had approved the use of "fatal instruments" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest told news agencies they wanted strict consequences for Hasina.

One relative, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "exemplary punishment" for the former leader and associates who have "committed acts of vengeance and exploited their positions".

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

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

Following her removal, an temporary leadership led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A national vote is scheduled for February 2026.

Nevertheless, the Awami League, the former ruling party, was outlawed by Bangladesh's interim government in May.

She alerted last month that if the party's candidates were prohibited from running in the imminent electoral process, numerous would avoid the vote.

This decision presents a diplomatic challenge for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but to date India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

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 defendants are not present; which is why I am disheartened," he stated further.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting major judicial fairness and judicial process problems at the ICT.

The former leader faced trial in conjunction with her former home minister and security forces head.

Even though the verdict offers some closure to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The anger against Hasina and the Awami League has not diminished," a Dhaka-based rights activist informed news organizations. "The leader and her faction has apologised or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a most citizens in this nation."

The activist added that the punishment was not finality for the relatives of those killed and injured.

"We assist numerous persons who lost their limbs forever, they are currently without limbs, because of the suppression. They will never be able to forgive her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it increasingly challenging" for her party to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a distancing from Hasina and the old leadership," he said.