Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on August 3 formally began the trial of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in absentia, accusing her of crimes against humanity tied to the brutal suppression of last year’s student-led uprising.
The tribunal, initially formed to prosecute war crimes from the country’s 1971 Liberation War, is now pursuing charges against Hasina for her alleged role in a violent crackdown on the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) movement, which erupted across the country in mid-2024.
The protests, which demanded electoral reforms and accountability, ultimately led to the collapse of Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024.
During the opening session, Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam described Hasina as the “nucleus of all crimes” and pressed for the maximum sentence.
He also named former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullaah Al Mamun as co-accused.
While Hasina and Kamal are being tried in absentia, Mamun is in custody and has reportedly agreed to testify as a prosecution witness.
According to the prosecution, the charges stem from alleged extrajudicial killings, torture, and other human rights violations committed during the government’s attempt to quell the protests.
The tribunal will hear testimonies from victims, eyewitnesses, and medical personnel over the coming weeks.
Hasina fled Bangladesh on the day her government fell and is currently residing in India. Kamal is also believed to have sought refuge there.
The interim administration under Muhammad Yunus has requested their extradition, but New Delhi has not responded publicly to the appeal.
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On July 10, the ICT formally indicted all three accused. The case marks a significant turn in Hasina’s post-premiership trajectory.
Last month, she was sentenced to six months in prison in absentia for contempt of court — the first legal conviction against her since she left office.
A report from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights estimated that up to 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15, 2024, as the Awami League government deployed security forces to suppress dissent.
