Bangladesh Tribunal Indicts Ousted PM for Atrocities

Former Prime Minister **Sheikh Hasina** faces trial in absentia on crimes against humanity charges.

A special tribunal in Bangladesh indicted ousted Prime Minister **Sheikh Hasina** on Thursday, accepting charges related to a mass uprising last year, during which hundreds of students died. The move escalates political tensions amid ongoing scrutiny of the nation’s judicial processes.

Indictment Details

A three-member panel, led by Justice **Golam Mortuza Mozumder**, brought five charges against **Hasina**, former Home Minister **Asaduzzaman Khan**, and former police chief **Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun**. **Hasina** and **Khan** are being tried in absentia.

**Al-Mamun**, who was arrested and appeared before the panel, pleaded guilty. He told the tribunal he would provide a statement supporting the prosecution at a later time.

Chief Prosecutor **Mohammad Tajul Islam** told reporters that **Al-Mamun** requested to become an “approver,” which the tribunal accepted. This refers to a person who pleads guilty, agreeing to testify against accomplices as a state witness for potential leniency.

The prosecution presented a leaked audio of **Hasina** and other documents as evidence. A petition from **Amir Hossain**, a state-appointed lawyer for **Hasina** and **Khan**, to have their names removed from the case was rejected.

Awami League Rejects Charges

The Awami League party, responding to the panel’s decision, has condemned the trial, branding the tribunal a “kangaroo” court.

People have lost their faith over the judicial system as Yunus regime has reduced this key state organ into a means to prosecute dissenters. We condemn in strongest term the indictment against our party president and other leaders as we assert that this step marks another testament to the ongoing witch hunt against our party and weaponization of judiciary by Yunus regime.

— Awami League (@albd1971) June 6, 2024

In a post on X, the Awami League accused the **Yunus**-led administration of manipulating the judiciary, asserting that the indictment is part of an ongoing witch hunt.

**Hasina** and the Awami League have previously criticized the tribunal and its prosecution team for alleged connections to political parties, especially the Jamaat-e-Islami party.

Extradition Request

The tribunal opened the trial on June 5, after authorities published newspaper advertisements requesting **Hasina**, in exile in India since Aug. 5, and **Khan** to appear. The interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate **Muhammad Yunus**, formally requested **Hasina**’s extradition from India, which has not yet responded. **Khan** is also believed to be in India.

The interim government has banned the Awami League party and amended laws to allow the trial of the former ruling party for its role during the uprising. Similarly, in nations transitioning from authoritarian rule, transitional justice mechanisms like truth commissions and specialized tribunals are often employed to address past human rights violations and promote accountability (USIP).

Details of the Charges

The prosecution argued that **Hasina** was directly responsible for ordering state forces, her Awami League party, and its associates to commit mass killings, injuries, violence against women and children, incineration of bodies, and denial of medical treatment to the wounded. She is described in the charges as the “mastermind, conductor, and superior commander” of these atrocities.

Past Actions and Context

In February, the U.N. human rights office estimated that up to 1,400 people may have been killed in Bangladesh during crackdowns on student-led protests against **Hasina**. Earlier this month, the tribunal sentenced **Hasina** to six months in jail for contempt of court, after she allegedly claimed she had a license to kill at least 227 people, stemming from a leaked audio recording. The tribunal was established by **Hasina** in 2009 to investigate and try crimes related to Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war against Pakistan.

Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan with India’s help, under the leadership of **Sheikh Mujibur Rahman**, **Hasina**’s father and the country’s first leader.

The tribunal has scheduled August 3 for the prosecution’s opening statement and August 4 for recording witness statements.