DHAKA,(Monitoring Desk): Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, currently a fugitive residing in India, has strongly denied all accusations of crimes against humanity related to the violent crackdown on protesters last year. According to her state-appointed defence lawyer, Hasina refutes the charges and will seek legal arguments to have the allegations dismissed. The trial against her, which began in absentia on June 1 in Dhaka, is centered on her alleged role in ordering and facilitating deadly violence during a failed attempt to maintain her grip on power.
The United Nations reported that approximately 1,400 people lost their lives during the period of July to August last year, when government forces violently suppressed a student-led uprising demanding political change. Prosecutors have filed five specific charges against Hasina, including abetment, incitement, complicity, facilitation, conspiracy, and failure to prevent mass murder, all amounting to crimes against humanity under Bangladeshi law. These charges are based on a detailed dossier outlining Hasina’s alleged involvement in orchestrating lethal violence.
Prosecutors have accused Hasina of ordering the use of lethal weapons, including attacks from helicopters, and inciting violence to crush the protests. Chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam criticized her for being obsessed with clinging to power at any cost and claimed that she encouraged the veneration of her late father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s founding president, drawing parallels between their political obsessions. The prosecution is pursuing multiple related cases, including the murders of young student protester Abu Sayeed and several other civilians in Dhaka suburbs during the crackdown.
Alongside Hasina, two other high-profile officials face similar charges. Former interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, also a fugitive, and ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, who remains in custody, are being tried for their roles in the violent suppression of the uprising. Hasina’s political party, the banned Awami League, condemned the trial as a “show trial” and reiterated their leader’s categorical denial of all charges in a statement issued from London.
The trial is ongoing amid heightened political tensions in Bangladesh, with the international community closely watching the proceedings. The case has drawn sharp criticism from opposition groups and human rights organizations, who have called for transparent justice, while supporters of Hasina accuse the government of political persecution. The outcome of the trial could have profound implications for Bangladesh’s fragile political landscape and its commitment to the rule of law.
