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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been given a death sentence for atrocities stemming from her severe measures on youth demonstrations which resulted in her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of permitting fatal actions to be used against demonstrators, among whom around 1,400 people were killed during the disturbances in the previous year.

Legal proceedings were conducted without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, as she resides in exile in India since she was forced from power in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for hundreds of killings during the protests. She has refuted all charges, labeling the proceedings as "biased and politically motivated".

The decision signifies a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests brought forth resentment over long-standing suppression. Relatives of the deceased and injured had requested tough penalties.

Reacting to the verdict in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the execution sentence was the temporary leadership's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was satisfied 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 tested fairly."

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

Dhaka experienced a notable rise in unrest, with multiple explosives detonated and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with zero injuries documented, local police official the authorities' representative told news organizations.

The protest movement led by students during 2024 started with demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but morphed into a broader opposition campaign.

UN human rights investigators stated in a document in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the gunfire from minimal distance of some protesters, the intentional injuring of further participants, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.

Unauthorized recordings of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by investigative sources during the current year indicated she had sanctioned the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The sound file was broadcast in court during the trial.

Ahead of the verdict, relatives of those fatally injured in the unrest stated to press outlets they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and misused their authority".

Another relative, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted the former leader's punishment to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the families of those killed [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

Since Hasina's ousting, an temporary leadership led by economist Muhammad Yunus has assumed power. A general election is planned for February 2026.

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

She alerted during the past month that if the her faction's nominees were barred from participating in the upcoming election, numerous would avoid the election.

The judgment creates a foreign relations issue for India and Bangladesh. Authorities have sought her return but to date India has demonstrated no inclination to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her Mohammad Amir Hossain said he was "sad [and wishes] the verdict had been different".

"I am unable to challenge because my defendants are not present; which is why I am sad," he stated further.

Recently, the defense attorneys said they had submitted an immediate petition to the UN highlighting serious fair trial and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her former home minister and police chief.

While the sentence offers some closure to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may not significantly ease the country's political divisions.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the the former ruling faction has not decreased," a human rights advocate from the capital stated to media outlets. "The leader and her faction has apologised or demonstrated contrition for the fatalities of countless citizens."

The activist stated "This complicates matters for the faction to gain approval by a bulk of the population in this state."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not resolution for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We work with multiple individuals who lost their limbs forever, they are amputees now, due to the crackdown. They are incapable of excusing her."

A journalist, an observer of Bangladeshi affairs, said the "very nature of the conviction could make it even more difficult" for her party to become a standard element of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "a form of contrition emerges and a separation from Sheikh Hasina and the old leadership," he expressed.