DHAKA: (Oct 24) Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has completed the trial proceedings against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a case involving crimes against humanity and scheduled the verdict for November 13, according to the Dhaka Tribune.
Hasina faces charges of torture, enforced disappearances, and abuses allegedly committed during her Awami League government’s tenure. She was ousted in August 2024 following a student-led uprising and later fled the country. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus subsequently assumed leadership of the interim government.
During Thursday’s hearing, Hasina’s state-appointed lawyer, Md Amir Hossain, rejected claims that the former prime minister had fled to evade justice. “Sheikh Hasina did not flee. She did not want to leave this country—it’s on record. She said, ‘If necessary, give me the soil here, kill me, still I will not go.’ But the situation forced her to leave by helicopter. The people of the country saw it. She did not escape like a thief,” Hossain told the tribunal, as cited by Dhaka Tribune.
He further argued that the accusations did not meet the legal definition of crimes against humanity. “For an act to be considered a crime against humanity, there must be intent to annihilate a community, as Hitler did with the Jews. That is not the case here,” he said, adding that both the prosecution and the defence “seek justice,” and it is up to the tribunal to ensure fairness.
Earlier this month, on October 8, the ICT had issued warrants against 30 individuals, including Hasina, in two separate cases related to enforced disappearances and human rights violations during her regime.
Hasina has reportedly been residing in India since her ouster in 2024, where she sought refuge following the collapse of her government amid widespread protests.
The tribunal’s upcoming verdict marks a historic moment in Bangladesh’s political transition, as the former leader—once among South Asia’s most influential figures—faces judgment in absentia.