Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina indicted by special tribunal over protestors’ death

Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Thursday (July 10) indicted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by accepting the charges of crimes against humanity against her in relation to the deaths and killings of people during student-led protests last year.Headed by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder, the three-member tribunal also indicted former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, on five charges along with Hasina, reported The Associated Press (AP).
“The International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh (ICT-BD) has framed the charge against her (Hasina) alongside the home minister of her regime Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and (the then) inspector general of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun,” a prosecution lawyer told reporters, as per PTI.
Hasina has been in self-imposed exile since August 5, 2024 when she flew to India as the protests turned violent.After the ousting of Hasina, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus formed an interim government, with Yunus being its Chief Advisor.

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Details of the trial against Hasina

The tribunal opened the trial on June 5 with Hasina and Khan being tried in absentia. Mamun was arrested and pleaded guilty telling the tribunal that he would make a statement in favour of the prosecution at a later stage, as per AP.Leaked audio recordings and other documents were presented before the tribunal as evidence.

The tribunal bench has posted the matter for August 3 for the opening statement by the prosecution and August 4 for recording the statements of the witness.

Six months jail to Hasina

The tribunal had sentenced Hasina to six months of imprisonment on July 2 for a contempt of court case as she allegedly claimed to have a licence to kill 227 people.

“There as 227 cases against me, so I now have a licence to kill 227 people,” Hasina was allegedly quoted as saying in a leaked audio recording which was presented before the court, as per AP.

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The UN human rights division estimated that 1,400 people were killed in Bangladesh over the month long protests as Hasina allegedly ordered violent crackdown on the unrest.

A BBC report on July 8 stated that Hasina ordered the police personnel to “shoot” the protestors “wherever they were found” while authorising the “use of weapons” against the student-led demonstrations.