Sheikh Hasina charged with crimes against humanity

Dhaka

Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) indicted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and two others on Sunday for mass murder and other charges linked to last year’s violent crackdown on student protests. The trial started in absentia nearly 10 months after Hasina’s government was ousted amid the unrest.

The three-judge ICT panel formally accepted charges accusing Hasina of using brutal force to suppress the protests. A fresh arrest warrant was issued for Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. The third accused, former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, is in custody and will stand trial in person.

The prosecution claimed Hasina exercised full authority to suppress the uprising. The others were charged with provocation, facilitation, and command responsibility. Prosecutors asked the court to declare Hasina’s Awami League party a criminal organization for acting on partisan grounds.

If convicted under ICT law, Hasina and her co-accused could face the death penalty. The trial was broadcast live for the first time in Bangladesh.

The start was delayed after three crude bombs were thrown at the tribunal gate. Two exploded, one was defused, and police are investigating using CCTV footage.

Hasina was ousted on August 5, 2024, after protests that killed hundreds. The ICT previously issued an arrest warrant, and the interim government sought her repatriation from India, which only acknowledged the request.

Reports say about 1,400 people died during the protests from July to August 2024, including students and police, showing the deep crisis Bangladesh faced. The situation remains tense as the trial unfolds.