Tomorrow's proceedings will kick off for the accusations against Sheikh Hasina's alleged crimes against humanity.
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Dhaka will begin formal hearings tomorrow (3 August) for a case against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun. The charges are related to crimes against humanity committed during the July Uprising in 2024.
Sheikh Hasina and the other defendants are accused of instigating a violent crackdown on peaceful student protests, causing widespread unrest and her eventual ousting on August 5, 2024. The charges center on the violent suppression of the protests, which resulted in approximately 1,500 deaths and 25,000 injuries.
Sheikh Hasina is accused of being the "nucleus" of the crimes, supported and executed by then-home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, among others. The charges include inciting violence, orchestrating a widespread attack by law enforcement and allied militants, using lethal force, and involvement in the killing and burning of civilians in Ashulia.
Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, one of the defendants, has been approved to testify as a state witness and has offered to assist the court by revealing key details surrounding the alleged atrocities. In a previous hearing, he admitted responsibility for mass killings during the protests.
The trial is being held by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) with Sheikh Hasina tried in absentia as she currently resides outside Bangladesh, while some aides are present. Mamun is represented by attorney Zayed Bin Amzad, and the state-appointed defence lawyer Amir Hossain is representing the two absconding defendants, Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.
Additional evidence presented includes phone records, CCTV footage, and eyewitness testimonies supporting these allegations. The court's proceedings will be approved for live broadcast. The trial follows the indictment of the three defendants on 10 July, which rejected appeals for dismissal of the charges against them and ordered the trial process to proceed.
Other cases linked to the allegations include the killing and torture of Hefazat-e-Islam activists and other enforced disappearances and repression reported during the Awami League’s rule, with investigations still ongoing.
The trial's chief prosecutor, Mohammad Tajul Islam, led the prosecution team during the indictment hearings, which were broadcast. He has agreed to fully disclose all truths in his testimony. The case against the three defendants is a significant step towards accountability for crimes committed during the July Uprising.
[1] [2] [3] (Sources omitted for brevity)
[1] The upcoming hearings by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Dhaka, concerning war-and-conflicts, politics, and general-news, will discuss the charged offenses against Sheikh Hasina, her former aides, and other public figures, related to the July Uprising of 2024 and the violent crackdown on student protests.
[2] Crime-and-justice aspects of these hearings include allegations of instigating violence, lethal force usage, and involvement in the killing and burning of civilians, as well as the role of Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, a defendant turned state witness, providing key details regarding the alleged atrocities.
