Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) will on Sunday begin formal hearings into charges against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, in a historic first that will see the proceedings broadcast live on state-run Bangladesh Television (BTV). Hasina, who was ousted from office on August 5, 2024, following a mass student-led uprising, faces multiple cases linked to alleged crimes during the July–August violence that rocked the country.
The three-judge tribunal had ordered the prosecution to complete its investigation by April. On Sunday, formal charges are to be submitted, including allegations of crimes against humanity, which carry the death penalty.
Live broadcast marks judicial first
The live broadcast marks a significant departure from past judicial practice in Bangladesh, where photography and telecast of court proceedings have typically been barred. "The entire nation will witness the submission of the first formal charges to the tribunal against influential figures of the ousted Awami League government, including Sheikh Hasina," said ICT-BD prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim. He said the hearings would begin at 9:30 am local time.
Charges stem from 2024 student-led uprising
The state-run BSS news agency reported that the charges relate to Hasina’s role in the state response to the July–August 2024 protests. The movement, led by the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) platform, forced the Awami League out of power, after which Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was appointed Chief Adviser of the interim government on August 8.
Multiple senior officials also charged
ICT-BD chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam said Sunday’s hearing would also cover charges against former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, both of whom are in jail.
Interim government seeks Hasina’s repatriation
An arrest warrant against Hasina was issued earlier, with the interim government formally requesting her repatriation from India. New Delhi has acknowledged the note but made no further comment. Most senior leaders of the former Hasina administration have been arrested. They face charges ranging from mass murder to suppression of dissent during last year’s violence, which, according to the UN human rights office, left some 1,400 people dead between July 15 and August 15, including students and security personnel.
Tribunal originally set up for 1971 war crimes
Originally formed to try collaborators of Pakistani forces in the 1971 Liberation War, the tribunal has previously sentenced to death several Jamaat-e-Islami and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders.
(With inputs from PTI)
