International: Bangladesh’s political landscape is abuzz as the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has set July 10 to decide on formal charges against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and two of her senior aides. This pivotal announcement, made on July 7, intensifies the legal challenges facing the former leader. Hasina, along with former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, stands accused of five counts of crimes against humanity, stemming from the tumultuous July uprising last year.
The ICT-1 will on the designated date hear petitions from the defence counsels, who contend that the charges against their clients are baseless and ought to be dismissed, as reported by The Daily Star. These accusations, formally pressed on June 1, include murder, attempted murder, torture, and the use of lethal weapons.
This development follows closely on the heels of Hasina’s recent sentencing. Last Wednesday, the 77-year-old Awami League leader received a six-month prison sentence in absentia by the ICT for contempt of court. This marks the first instance of a conviction against Hasina since her departure from office in August last year.
The backdrop to these legal battles is the violent crackdown on protesters during her government’s tenure. A UN rights office report indicates that up to 1,400 individuals were killed between July 15 and August 15 last year as Hasina’s administration sought to quell the dissent. The widespread protests ultimately led to the overthrow of the nearly 16-year Awami League regime on August 5, forcing Hasina to seek refuge in India. Since then, many leaders, ministers, and officials of the previous regime have either been arrested or are absconding, as the interim government initiates trials for their alleged brutal actions during the uprising.
Adding to Hasina’s legal woes, a Dhaka court has summoned her, her family members, and several former officials of her administration to appear in connection with six alleged corruption cases. These cases involve plot allocations, as reported by bdnews24.com on Sunday. Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam confirmed that gazette notices for these appearances have been issued, signed by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib.
The court has scheduled July 20 for a hearing in these six cases, and Salam stated that if the accused fail to appear by then, the trial will proceed in their absence. The gazette explicitly notes that arrest warrants have been issued, and the court believes the accused have gone into hiding to evade arrest and trial, deeming their apprehension unlikely. Should they not present themselves by the next scheduled date, the trial will move forward without them. Beyond Hasina, the gazette lists her children, Sajeeb Wazed Joy and Saima Wazed Putul, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and Rehana’s children, British MP Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, Azmina Siddiq Ruponti, and Radwan Mujib Siddiq, among those summoned.