Five charges of crimes against humanity have been framed against the ousted PM of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina. The court has set the date for the commencement of the trial as August 3, which will proceed in her absence.
Bangladesh: The troubles of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have once again increased. The International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh formally framed charges against her on July 10, 2025, in a case of crimes against humanity. The trial will proceed in her absence and will commence from August 3, 2025. Considering the seriousness of the case, the court has initiated the process of bringing all the accused to trial.
Five serious charges against three senior leaders
Along with Sheikh Hasina, two other senior officials have also been made accused in this case. These include Asaduzzaman Khan, who was the Home Minister during her tenure, and Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, the then police chief. The three-member bench of the tribunal, headed by Justice Ghulam Murtuza Mojumdar, has framed five separate charges against all three. The prosecution claims that these leaders attempted to suppress the peaceful protests by students last year by force.
Serious charges including genocide and torture
According to the prosecutors, during the protests by student organizations in July and August 2024, several students were tortured using the government machinery, due to which several deaths also occurred. The tribunal has considered these events as crimes against humanity. These charges include serious aspects like murder, genocide, illegal detention, and torture.
One accused confessed the crime, two absconding
In this case, Police Chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun is the only person among the accused who appeared in court. He has also confessed to his crime before the court. On the other hand, Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan are still absconding and the trial will be conducted in their absence. It is also noteworthy that Sheikh Hasina went to India on August 5 last year and has been residing there since then.
Appeal for extradition from India
The current interim government of Bangladesh, led by Mohammad Yunus, has appealed to the Indian government to extradite Sheikh Hasina. A formal letter in this regard was sent to India in December 2024. The Yunus government has expressed hope that India will make a decision on this issue on the basis of "morality and conscience." No clear response has come from India so far, although India did confirm the receipt of the letter.
