Bangladesh ex-PM Sheikh Hasina charged with 'crimes against humanity'

Dhaka: In a dramatic shift in Bangladesh’s political landscape, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been formally charged with crimes against humanity by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for her alleged role in the violent nationwide uprising of July 2024, according to local media reports.

The charges, made public on Sunday, mark the beginning of a highly anticipated trial that is being broadcast live on national television. Hasina, currently in self-imposed exile in New Delhi, stands accused alongside former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.

During Sunday’s session, prosecutors submitted a detailed charge sheet asserting that Hasina was the principal architect behind the mass violence that swept the country during July and August last year. The Dhaka Tribune reported that an investigation report submitted on May 12 identified Hasina as having "directly ordered" the killings associated with the unrest.

According to Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam, Hasina instructed state security forces, party members, and affiliated organisations to launch violent crackdowns on anti-government protests. “These killings were planned,” said Islam during the televised hearing. He presented video footage and encrypted communications as evidence of what he described as a "coordinated, widespread and systematic attack."

The prosecution maintains that as head of government at the time, Hasina bore command responsibility for the violent actions of security forces and party loyalists. “She unleashed all law enforcement agencies and her armed party members to crush the uprising,” Islam stated.

This legal development follows the decision by the current interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, to ban all activities of the Awami League — Hasina’s political party — under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The uprising initially began as student-led protests opposing a controversial job quota system, but rapidly evolved into a nationwide movement demanding Hasina’s resignation.

Facing growing pressure, Hasina stepped down on August 5 and fled to India. In October 2024, the ICT issued a warrant for her arrest and formally requested her extradition from New Delhi.

With IANS inputs