The trial of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina began on Sunday at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), with prosecutors accusing her of orchestrating a “systematic attack” to suppress the student-led uprising that toppled her regime in 2024.
According to the United Nations, the crackdown between July and August 2024 resulted in approximately 1,400 deaths. Hasina, 77, fled the country by helicopter to India an old ally and has since ignored an extradition order from Dhaka.
The tribunal is also pursuing charges against top officials from Hasina’s deposed administration and her now-outlawed party, the Awami League.
“Upon reviewing the evidence, we concluded it was a coordinated, widespread, and systematic attack,” said lead prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam in his opening remarks.
“She deployed all law enforcement agencies and armed party loyalists to brutally suppress the uprising.”
The prosecution has filed five charges each against Hasina and two other former officials, including counts of abetment, incitement, complicity, conspiracy, facilitation, and failure to prevent mass killings.
Crimes Against Humanity Alleged
Prosecutors claim these acts constitute crimes against humanity. Despite being in self-imposed exile in India, Hasina has dismissed the charges as politically driven.
Also charged are former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun currently in custody and ex-interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who remains at large.
The trial, broadcast live on state television, has garnered significant public attention. Prosecutor Islam emphasized the trial’s legitimacy.
“This is not an act of revenge,” he said. “It’s about upholding justice and ensuring accountability in a democratic society.”
Extensive Evidence Gathered
Investigators have submitted video and audio recordings, intercepted phone calls, and documentation of helicopter and drone activity. Eyewitness testimonies from victims have also been compiled.
According to the prosecution, Hasina issued direct orders via the interior ministry and police command to suppress the protest movement.
“These forces carried out killings, attempted murders, torture, and other inhuman actions,” Islam stated.
He further alleged that forces opened fire from helicopters following Hasina’s directives.
One of the most high-profile incidents under scrutiny is the killing of student protester Abu Sayeed on July 16 in Rangpur. Shot at close range, his death was widely broadcast in the days following Hasina’s fall.
Wider Legal Proceedings and Political Fallout
The tribunal launched its first trial related to Hasina’s government on May 25, charging eight police officers with crimes against humanity for the deaths of six protesters on August 5—the day Hasina fled.
Four officers are currently detained, while the rest are being tried in absentia.
Ironically, the ICT was originally established by Hasina in 2009 to investigate atrocities committed during Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence. Critics now say it was often used to eliminate political adversaries.
In a separate development on Sunday, the Supreme Court reinstated the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh’s largest Islamist political party paving the way for its participation in future elections. Hasina had previously banned the party and led crackdowns on its leadership.
In May, the interim government officially banned the Awami League, pending the outcome of Hasina’s trial and related proceedings.
