Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal will deliver its verdict on Monday (November 17) in the case involving ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who faces five counts of charges related to crimes against humanity during last year’s deadly protests and violence in Dhaka. Prosecutors have sought the death penalty for the deposed PM, who is in India, over the crackdown on student-led protests that led to her ouster and escape to India.
Notably, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who was part of the ousted Awami League government, and then inspector general of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun were also tried in the tribunal. Both Hasina and Kamal faced their trials in absentia as the court declared them “fugitives”.
In a February report, the United Nations said that about 1,400 people might have been killed in the violence that rocked Dhaka last year. Meanwhile, the country’s health adviser said that over 800 people were killed and about 14,000 were injured.
‘Deserved 1,400 death sentences’
ICT-BD chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam has demanded the death penalty for Hasina. He said that the ousted PM deserves 1,400 death sentences. “Since that is not humanly possible, we demand at least one,” he added.
In court last month, he claimed that Hasina’s goal was only to cling to power permanently “for herself and her family”. He called her a “hardened criminal” who shows “no remorse for the brutality she has committed”.
On October 23, the tribunal completed the hearing of the case, which spanned more than 28 working days and saw 54 witnesses testify before the court.
5 counts of charges against Hasina
In total, Sheikh Hasina and the two others have been accused of committing crimes under five counts. The first alleges murder, attempted murder, torture and other inhumane acts.
The second count accuses Hasina of ordering the “extermination” of protesters, while the third alleges that the former PM made inflammatory remarks and ordered the use of deadly weapons against protesting students.
The remaining charges concern the shooting and killing of six unarmed protesters, including students, in Dhaka and its suburbs.
Bangladesh on edge ahead of verdict
The country has been rocked by a series of crude bombings and arson attacks ahead of the verdict, as the former ruling party, the Awami League, called for a nationwide lockdown to protest Hasina’s trial.
Schools across Dhaka and other major cities have shifted to online classes, while public transport is facing major disruptions. Security has been tightened across the national capital, and authorities have deployed army troops around the International Crimes Tribunal complex.
