Bangladesh indicts Ex-PM Sheikh Hasina on mass murder charges; trial broadcast on live television

Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Sunday formally indicted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and two others on multiple charges, including mass murder, in connection with thier alleged violent crackdown on student-led protests that rocked the nation last year.

A three-judge bench of the ICT took cognizance of the charges after prosecutors accused Hasina and her former colleagues of using brutal force against protesters.

“We do hereby take into cognizance the charges,” the three-judge ICT bench said, reported PTI.

Proceedings against Hasina broadcast on national TV

The tribunal’s proceedings, broadcast live on national television for the first time in the country’s history, mark the beginning of Hasina’s trial in absentia — nearly ten months after her ouster.

The court also issued fresh arrest warrants for Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. The third accused, former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, is in custody and will stand trial in person.

Charges against Sheikh Hasina

Sheikh Hasina has been charged with exercising unchecked authority to violently quash the protests, while Kamal and Mamun face accusations of instigating, abetting, and facilitating the crackdown, as per PTI.

All three were accused of superior command responsibility for the crimes.

Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam went a step further, urging the tribunal to declare Hasina’s Awami League a criminal organisation, claiming the violence was orchestrated on partisan lines. If convicted under the ICT-BD law, the accused could face the death penalty.

Bombs hurled ahead of trial

The trial’s start was briefly delayed after three crude bombs were hurled at the tribunal’s gates early Sunday morning. Two exploded, while the third was defused. Police are reviewing CCTV footage to identify and arrest the perpetrators.

Sheikh Hasina's ouster

Sheikh Hasina, ousted on August 5, 2024, following the widespread unrest, now faces multiple cases in Bangladesh. A previous arrest warrant led the interim government to formally request her repatriation from India via diplomatic channels. New Delhi has acknowledged the request but has not issued a response.

According to a UN human rights report, the protests and subsequent violence between July 15 and August 15 in Bangladesh last year claimed the lives of approximately 1,400 people — including students, civilians, and police personnel.