Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Sunday launched the first formal proceedings against deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, trying her in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity stemming from the brutal crackdown on student protests in 2024 that ultimately ended her government.
Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam, appointed by the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus, described Hasina as the “nucleus of all crimes” in his opening remarks. He called for the “maximum penalty” against the former premier, who remains in exile.
The prosecution has also named two of Hasina’s top associates, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and ex-Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullaah Al Mamun, as co-accused. While Hasina and Kamal are being tried in absentia, Mamun is currently in custody and has reportedly agreed to become an approver in the case.
The charges relate primarily to the state-led suppression of the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) movement, which erupted across university campuses in mid-2024 and transformed into a national uprising. Hasina’s administration was accused of ordering extrajudicial killings, torture, and mass detentions to quell the dissent.
According to the United Nations Human Rights Office, an estimated 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15 last year. On 5 August 2024, Hasina fled Bangladesh as the unrest peaked, seeking refuge in India. Kamal reportedly followed days later. The Bangladeshi interim government has formally requested their extradition, but New Delhi is yet to issue a response.
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The tribunal, initially set up to prosecute war crimes from the 1971 Liberation War, has for the first time shifted its focus to contemporary political violence. Hasina, Kamal, and Mamun were formally indicted by the ICT on 10 July.
The prosecution informed the bench that it will soon produce eyewitnesses and victims from last year’s violence. Legal experts say the trial could serve as a precedent for prosecuting state violence in post-authoritarian transitions.
Last month, the tribunal also sentenced Hasina in absentia to six months’ imprisonment in a contempt of court case, marking the first conviction against the 77-year-old Awami League leader since her ouster from power.
The case has further polarised the Bangladeshi political landscape. Supporters of the interim administration say it marks a long-awaited step toward justice, while Hasina’s loyalists have denounced the proceedings as a politically motivated campaign of retribution.
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