Hasina officially charged with crimes against humanity
NN Online:
Five charges of crimes against humanity have been formally filed against deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), in connection with efforts to suppress the July 2024 Uprising.
On Sunday afternoon, the prosecution submitted the formal charges and supporting documents to the tribunal registrar’s office. Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam later presented the 134-page chargesheet to the three-member tribunal headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder.
The panel also includes Justice Md Shafiul Alam Mahmud and retired district and sessions judge Md Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury.
In a historic move, the tribunal’s proceedings were broadcast live on national television — the first such instance in Bangladesh — as part of the prosecution’s push to ensure transparency.
If the court accepts the charges, it will mark the formal commencement of the trial against the ousted Awami League leader in the very tribunal her administration originally established to try 1971 war criminals.
In addition to Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun have also been named as co-accused in the case.
An investigation report submitted on May 12 outlines five specific charges of crimes against humanity. The document portrays Hasina as the “mastermind, conductor, and superior commander” behind the violent crackdown during the July–August period.
The interim government has already amended existing laws to permit the trial of political parties, paving the way for prosecuting the Awami League as an entity for its alleged role in the crackdown.
Several political groups, including Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party, have called for the trial of Hasina and her party to be concluded before the upcoming national elections.
In a recent Facebook post, Law Advisor Asif Nazrul expressed hope that the proceedings would be completed under the current interim administration.