Hasina, Allies Face Crimes Tribunal in Absentia

Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has formally charged former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, ex-home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun with crimes against humanity, including mass murder, stemming from a violent crackdown on student-led protests in July-August 2024. The charges, which include abetment, incitement, conspiracy, and failure to prevent mass killings, follow a UN fact-finding mission estimating about 1,400 deaths during the unrest that led to Hasina's ouster and exile in India. The trial is being conducted in absentia for Hasina and Kamal, while Mamun is in custody, and is being broadcast live nationally for the first time in Bangladesh’s history. Arrest warrants have been issued, and Bangladesh has requested Hasina’s extradition from India, which has yet to respond substantively. Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam described the crackdown as coordinated and systematic, with Hasina portrayed as the mastermind, while Hasina and her party deny the allegations as politically motivated. The tribunal's proceedings mark a historic and contentious shift, as the Awami League faces possible criminal designation and its leaders risk the death penalty if convicted.