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Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) connected Monday (November 17, 2025) began delivering its verdict successful the lawsuit against deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is being tried successful absentia implicit alleged crimes against humanity committed during past year’s student-led agitation that led to the fall of her Awami League government.
The three-member tribunal volition besides pronounce its judgement against Ms. Hasina's 2 aides, erstwhile Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and erstwhile constabulary main Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, implicit the aforesaid charges. Mr. Mamun was produced earlier the tribunal. Prosecutors person sought the decease punishment for the accused.
Ms. Hasina (78) faces aggregate charges arising from the wide uprising that forced her retired of bureau successful August 2024. A United Nations rights bureau study estimates that up to 1,400 radical were killed betwixt July 15 and August 15 during the “July Uprising” arsenic her authorities ordered a sweeping information crackdown.
Ms. Hasina and Mr. Kamal were declared fugitives and tried successful absentia, portion Mamun initially faced proceedings successful idiosyncratic earlier turning approver. Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam has described Ms. Hasina arsenic the “mastermind and main architect” of the alleged atrocities during the protests. Her supporters support the charges are politically motivated.
The tribunal concluded hearings connected October 23 aft 28 moving days, during which 54 witnesses testified astir the state’s effect to the student-led question that toppled Ms. Hasina’s government connected August 5, 2024.
Ms. Hasina fled Bangladesh the aforesaid time amid intensifying unrest and has since been residing successful India. Mr. Kamal is besides believed to person taken refuge successful India. The interim authorities led by Muhammad Yunus has sought Ms. Hasina’s extradition, but India has yet to respond.
Security has been heightened nationwide up of the verdict. Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali connected Sunday evening (November 16, 2025) issued shoot-at-sight orders against anyone progressive successful arson, explosions oregon attempts to harm constabulary and civilians.
The now-disbanded Awami League called a two-day shutdown up of the judgement. Army troops, Border Guard Bangladesh unit and riot constabulary person been deployed astir the ICT-BD complex, with streets successful the superior mostly deserted amid fears of violence.
Ms. Hasina, Mr. Kamal and Mr. Mamun look 5 charges, including murder, attempted murder, torture and different inhumane acts. A cardinal complaint accuses Ms. Hasina of ordering the “extermination” of protesters. She is besides accused of making inflammatory remarks and directing the usage of deadly weapons against students.
Additional charges subordinate to the shooting deaths of six unarmed protesters successful Dhaka and surrounding areas.
In interviews with planetary media and the Indian press, Ms. Hasina has labelled the tribunal a “kangaroo court” tally by individuals aligned with her governmental opponents. In a caller emailed interrogation to PTI, she said she was consenting to basal proceedings nether planetary supervision “even astatine the International Criminal Court” successful The Hague, alleging that Mr. Yunus avoided specified a process due to the fact that an impartial tribunal would acquit her.
The ICT-BD was primitively established to effort collaborators of Pakistani forces during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War. The Yunus medication aboriginal amended its mandate to prosecute leaders of the erstwhile regime, including Ms. Hasina. Most elder Awami League figures are either jailed oregon connected the run.
