High-Profile Trial Commences for Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Over 2024 Crackdown Charges in Bangladesh Demanding Justice and Accountability
The trial against Sheikh Hasina and her associates for crimes against humanity is currently underway at Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal-1. This legal reckoning, a barometer of Bangladesh's democratic resilience and fragility, began in early August 2025.
The proceedings are of significant political importance, as they may determine the future participation of Hasina’s Awami League party in elections and shape national accountability and reconciliation processes. The trial is a landmark moment in Bangladesh's pursuit of accountability and justice, particularly in connection with the violent suppression of the July Uprising student protests in 2024.
The prosecution's case is based on direct evidence, including recorded phone conversations between Hasina and law enforcement officials, directing them to open fire on protesters. The charges allege that over 1,400 civilians, including children, were killed during the crackdown last July and August.
The prosecution plans to present 11 emblematic incidents as evidence of crimes such as killings and sexual violence orchestrated by state agencies. Witnesses report that security forces used live ammunition on demonstrators, and enforcement included widespread arrests, torture, and disappearances.
Hasina will be tried in absentia, as she is currently living in India and has declined to return despite multiple extradition requests by the interim government. The UN OHCHR report corroborates allegations of Hasina's direct involvement in planning the crackdown. The leaked audio recording suggested that Hasina had ordered lethal force in response to accumulating legal cases.
The Awami League party, led by Sheikh Hasina, has been banned from upcoming elections. The interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, is also memorializing the victims and hopes to establish a Truth and Healing Commission to document the regime’s abuses and assist victims. However, reconciliation prospects appear limited.
The trial proceedings will be broadcast live to the public. The prosecution will call eyewitnesses and survivors, including microbus driver Khokon Chandra Barman. The tribunal reserves the right to impose the death penalty, and if convicted, Hasina may face the severest outcomes under Bangladeshi law.
Notably, the prosecution has secured the cooperation of Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, who has pled guilty and will testify as a state witness. This trial is undoubtedly a pivotal moment in Bangladesh's history, as it seeks to bring accountability and justice for past atrocities.
- Indian politics is likely to be influenced by the ongoing trial against Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh, as her party's future participation in elections may be affected by the verdict.
- The trial of Sheikh Hasina and her associates, taking place at Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal-1, is a significant part of the country's general news, crime-and-justice, and policy-and-legislation sectors, particularly in the context of war-and-conflicts and national accountability.
- The trial against Sheikh Hasina, in connection with the violent suppression of the July Uprising student protests in 2024, is not only a matter of political importance but also a landmark moment for justice and reconciliation in Bangladesh's history.
