Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) is set to announce its verdict on Monday in a landmark case against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is being tried in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity linked to last year’s student-led uprising that toppled her government.
The tribunal, scheduled to convene at 11:00 am, will also issue verdicts against two of Hasina’s former aides, ex-home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun. Prosecutors have sought the death penalty for all three.
Hasina, 78, was ousted on August 5, 2024, after weeks of nationwide protests.
A UN rights office report estimated that up to 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15 during the crackdown that came to be known as the July Uprising.
Hasina and Kamal were declared fugitives by the court and tried in absentia. Mamun initially faced trial in person but later turned approver.
Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam described Hasina as the “mastermind” of the alleged atrocities, though her supporters insist the charges are politically driven. The tribunal concluded hearings on October 23 after 28 working days, during which 54 witnesses detailed the state response to the student movement.
Hasina fled to India on the day she was deposed and has continued to live there. The interim government of Muhammad Yunus has requested her extradition, but New Delhi has yet to respond. Kamal is also believed to be in India.
Hasina has rejected the allegations, calling the tribunal a “kangaroo court” run by her political rivals. In recent interviews, she said she was willing to stand trial under international oversight, even before the International Criminal Court, claiming she would be cleared by an impartial process.
Ahead of the verdict, Bangladesh has tightened security nationwide.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police have issued a shoot-on-sight order targeting anyone involved in violent acts, including arson or attacks on civilians and law enforcement. Army units, Border Guard Bangladesh personnel and riot police have been deployed around the tribunal complex, leaving the capital’s streets largely empty.
(With inputs from PTI)
