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The ex-prime minister of Bangladesh has been handed capital punishment for crimes against humanity stemming from her severe measures on youth demonstrations which resulted in her forced departure.

Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of authorizing deadly measures to be used against activists, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the disturbances in the previous year.

The trial proceeded in absentia by the International Crimes Court in Bangladesh, since she went into exile in India following her ouster in July 2024.

Legal authorities charged her of being responsible for multiple fatalities during the protests. She has refuted the entire case, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests unleashed anger over years of repression. Relatives of the deceased and wounded had demanded tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, she expressed the capital punishment was the interim government's way of "eliminating her political faction" as a electoral entity and that she was satisfied of her administration's performance on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to confront those accusing me in a fair court where the facts can be assessed and tested fairly."

The capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection ahead of the decision on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina organizing a demonstration and celebrating as the sentence was declared.

Dhaka experienced a recent spike in unrest, with dozens of bombs exploded and buses set on fire in the days leading up to the verdict.

A minimum of one detonation was recorded in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, regional security representative the authorities' representative stated to press agencies.

The protest movement led by students in the previous year commenced through demands to abolish public sector reservation policies but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

International human rights monitors stated in a document in February that the approximately 1,400 deaths could constitute "violations of human dignity".

The study recorded the gunfire from minimal distance of certain demonstrators, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unwarranted detentions and abuse.

Disclosed sound files of one of Hasina's phone calls verified by media examinations in previous months implied she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Prior to the ruling, relatives of those who died in the demonstrations informed media representatives they wanted the former leader to face strict penalties.

Ramjan Ali, whose brother was shot dead in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for Hasina and others who have "performed revengeful deeds and exploited their positions".

Another relative, whose spouse died near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "executed before the election".

"Solely at that point the kin of victims [in the protests] will find peace in their hearts."

Following her removal, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has assumed control. A parliamentary election is planned 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 the League's representatives were prohibited from running in the upcoming election, millions would boycott the election.

The judgment creates a international dilemma for India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has asked her repatriation but to date India has expressed no readiness to acquiesce.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "disappointed and hoping the verdict had been different".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disheartened," he stated further.

Last week, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out significant due process and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her previous domestic affairs official and top law enforcement officer.

While the sentence grants partial finality to relatives of the deceased in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Sheikh Hasina and the her political party has not decreased," a civil liberties campaigner in Dhaka stated to news organizations. "Both she and the organization has expressed regret or displayed repentance for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The advocate declared "It makes it difficult for the party to be accepted by a bulk of the population in this state."

The campaigner further stated that the punishment was not finality for the families of those fatally and non-fatally harmed.

"We support multiple individuals who suffered permanent amputations, they are now disabled, due to the crackdown. They will never be able to forgive her."

David Bergman, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it even more difficult" for the political faction to become a normal feature of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a separation from the former leader and the previous administration," he said.